The Heart of an Only Child
by PurpleCobra247
Summary: -Completely Revised- The life story of my OC, Tommy Jaymes Jones. Tommy and Ibuki's life is finally complete, despite everything they've been through together. Please read and review.
1. Born with Fate

Heart of an Only Child

By: PurpleCobra247

Rated M for sexual content, adult language, blood and gore, and strong violence

Chapter 1: Born with Fate

For most people, the world isn't so bad, but for others, it can be Hell before they know it. This is pretty much all that's been happening for one particular person… ever since his fifth birthday. He goes by the name of Tommy Jaymes Jones, a man whose name was chosen by his celebrating drunk father, Johnnie Thompson Jones. For the Jones', having Tommy added to the family was a blessing for Johnnie and his beautiful wife, Karthaji Flakyss Jones. There's only one odd thing about this family and Tommy: They are all interracial. Johnnie is pure African American while his wife, Karthaji, is Korean and, as for cute little baby boy Tommy, he was a perfect mixture of the two completely different races. He had his father's skin tone, but has his Mother's smoothness of her Korean skin. He also had his Mother's unique bright green eyes, his Father's hair color, and even the hair was as silky as his Mother's. In other words, guessing his race as he grows will be harder to accomplish than trying to complete every single level in Pac-Man!

After Tommy's birth, time seemed to fly by so fast for the Jones family. He progressed quickly when it came to development. He learned how to walk by age two and he learned his first word, which was "chocolate", by age three. He learned the words "Mother", "Father", "Daddy", and "Mama" not too long after that. By his fourth birthday, he learned how to ride his first tricycle. So, peaceful walks were a breeze because their son would be right next to his parents on his tricycle.

On this beautiful spring day, Johnnie, Karthaji, and Tommy on his tricycle were on their way to nowhere in particular. They were just walking around the neighborhood and, as Karthaji was walking alongside her husband with Tommy not too far in front of them, she smiled with pure happiness as she saw her son's appearance.

"Johnnie, just look at Tommy." She started the conversation with her sweet, but motherly deep female voice. "His hair is already stopping right below his neck at his age of four. How can he progress so quickly, honey? It's just shocking to me."

"Maybe he's just one'a dose boys who has a growth spurt thang goin' on." Johnnie replied in his Southern accent. "Dere ain't too many boys like 'im 'round dese here parts, ya know."

"True, but I just can't help but wonder if… Tommy will be… _different_ from other boys when he gets older."

"He probably will be, baby, but dat ain't gonna stop 'im from gettin' his education. He's passing his class like a champ!"

"He sure is… and he seems to know so much already as well. It's a good thing that Parent and Teacher Conferences are tomorrow afternoon. I really need to know how well Tommy is doing."

"I'm doing good, Mommy." Tommy replied quickly in his adorable four year old boy's voice as they were just turning a corner. Karthaji smiled with love as Johnnie did the same. "I do really good."

"I know you do, son." Johnnie agreed. "See, baby? He's confident."

"I still want to hear from the teacher, though." Karthaji protested gently.

The next day…

Parent and Teacher Conferences were under way at Tommy's preschool and so far, no bad reports were made about any of his classmates, especially his best friend, Bobby Dawson Fallace, who was only one race, which was African American. It was finally Tommy's family's turn to meet and greet the teacher, who was a sweet elderly woman, dressed in a simple pink dress and matching flat shoes.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Jones." She greeted in her gentle voice of a loving Grandmother. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you both."

"The pleasure's all ours, ma'am." Johnnie replied as he sat in a chair with Tommy in his lap next to Karthaji. "How has our son been doin' here?"

"He has been an absolute angel. Ever since that incident with that bully three weeks ago, he has been getting along well with Bobby and his grades are just fantastic. He doesn't even fail naptime."

"Awww, that's great."

"What does puzzle me, however, is this thing he does when he's the first to wake up from his nap. He just… sits there… on his cot… with his head bowed and eyes closed… until everybody else wakes up. Then, he acts as though he's never done it before in his life. What's that about?"

"Hmmmm…" Karthaji hummed in deep thought. "How often does he do this?"

"Every school day."

"Well, he's never done that at home… unless… Tommy?"

"Yes, Mother?" Tommy replied back as sweetly as possible.

"Do you do this thing you do at school at home as well?"

"Before I go to sleep, yeah."

"Why do you do that, son?" Johnnie asked with partial shock.

"I mentally speak with this guy named Fate. He keeps telling me that I'm gonna be the best looking man in the world when I grow up… and I'll be a super cool football player, too."

"Oh, my God…" Both of his parents gasped with shock with the teacher.

"This must be a shocker to you both obviously." The teacher pointed out. "Do you have a motive behind this, Tommy?"

"No. I just talk to him." Tommy replied with honesty.

"Well, Johnnie and Karthaji, what say you?"

"I say 'MY GOD!'." Johnnie replied with humor. Karthaji shook her head with uncertainty.

"I…" She started. "…don't know what to say. Why speak to Fate, Tommy?"

"No reason." Tommy admitted again, which was a little eerie to both of his parents and his teacher.

"Riiiiiiiiiiiight." Johnnie muttered with sarcasm.

Later, on that same night…

Johnnie and Karthaji were just getting into bed for the night. Johnnie turned off his lamp on his respective side of the bed before he laid down on his pillow, but Karthaji was just lying on her back with her lamp still on, not taking Tommy's "conversations" with Fate off of her mind. She stared at nothing in particular at the ceiling as she sighed with deep thought.

"Johnnie…" She started in a whisper. "…I can't sleep, baby."

"I figured that, sweetheart." Johnnie agreed tiredly, still laid down, but facing his wife. "I don't know how I'm even sleepy."

"What if… what if Tommy's so-called 'conversations with a guy named Fate' are actually visions of so many things to come?"

"Well, if dey ain't dreams, den dey must be visions."

"Hmm! I actually don't like what Tommy's doing."

"Why not, Mommy?" Tommy came in unexpectedly. He was standing at the open door of his parent's bedroom with a frown on his adorable face. Karthaji frowned with him as he approached her side of the bed and held his arms up, ready to be picked up. Seconds after she did so, she gently laid his head down on her chest and gently rubbed his back for comfort as he continued. "Most of those conversations are good."

"I know, but do you have these 'conversations' because you're a bit lonely? Being the only child and all?" It was silent for the next three minutes as Tommy stared into his Mother's identical green eyes as he thought about the question. Johnnie slowly sat up and thought hard about the question as well. Tommy knew that his 'conversations' were more than just visions of the future, but they were giving him somebody imaginary to talk to during his alone time, which is always while others are sleeping. Whether he does it at school or home, the excuse is always the same: He was _indeed_… lonely… with no brothers or sisters to interact with. When cute little Tommy saw that as his true motivation for his visions, he started crying in a millisecond with tears of extreme sadness pouring out of his eyes like a pair of waterfalls. The screams were too loud for any parent to handle, but to Karthaji and Johnnie, it was nothing more than a sad melody playing at its loudest capacity, sending a strong aura of nothing but sorrow all throughout the room.

Karthaji held her crying son close to her chest, letting his massive tears drench her nightgown as she was slowly starting to cry with him. Johnnie kept his determined face on as he was getting teary-eyed as well.

"Well, damn it all." He muttered with anger as he turned around with his back facing his son and his wife. "It's too bad I had a vasectomy right afta Tommy was born."

"I had my tubes tied at around the same time as you, baby." Karthaji admitted through the screams. "What can we do?"

"Hmmm… What day is tomorra?"

"Saturday."

"Okay. Tomorra mornin', I want ya to meet me in da kitchen. I have a feelin' dat his cryin' might literally wear him out tonight."

"Why meet you in the kitchen?"

"I have an idea on how we can make these 'imaginary conversations wit Fate' go away."

The next morning…

"You want to start a humane animal adoption center?" Karthaji asked with shock as she was cooking breakfast. Johnnie was sitting at the table with his arms crossed on the table with confidence.

"Yep." Johnnie replied. "I already have da business experience and I know you've got da animal know-how."

"Yes, but my question is, what kind of animals will we raise for adoption?"

"You tell me. I want Tommy to interact with somethin', since he can't get no broddas or sistas."

"Hmmm… well, I do love animals dearly… but I don't just want to raise domestic animals. I want to raise exotic rare animals that nobody's ever seen before. I can even tame wild animals to be domesticated."

"Now ya talkin'! Dis will really send Tommy into pure happiness in no time flat."

"What about the money?"

"What about it? It doesn't matter how much money we earn outta dis. All dat matters is my only child's happiness!"

"Now you're speaking my language, honey."

And so, it officially began. The Jones' animal adoption center, called Animals of Happiness, was already a big hit the day after that announcement. They started out easy with raising domestic animals, like dogs, cats, birds, fish, and even reptiles that were housebroken or abandoned. As the business progressed, so did the number of animals… and the many types of animals. Karthaji's expertise in humane animal hunting really paid off at every harmless catch of numerous wild and rare animals. Tommy was on the scene of every catch and it made all the events of his nightly "conversations with Fate" seem like nothing more than supernatural dreams. Many customers adopted many strange creatures for one fair adoption fee of five dollars for domestic animals and seven dollars for wild or rare animals. In fact, it was such a big hit that they made over 700,000 dollars in one week!

So, for Tommy's fifth birthday, Johnnie promised him a trip of a lifetime to his favorite country: North Korea. Karthaji was impressed at the fact that he wanted to go there just to see his Korean roots, since their home was in Siberia, Russia. The trip was a promise, not a present, because Karthaji just received word from one of her childhood friends, Parlia Winstead, that a rare Siberian Tiger was spotted near the boundary line between Russia and Europe in a forest. Johnnie and Tommy had to stay home that day, due to the fact that the forest was a little too chilly for little Tommy to withstand.

On this fateful day, Karthaji and Parlia arrived at the location of the Siberian Tiger at around 1:32 PM, dressed in heavy coats to keep themselves warm. As they got out the truck, Karthaji spotted the tiger just lying in a grassy plain, minding his own business. Parlia was shocked to see the tiger being so content in a place like this. Karthaji expected this, thanks to her confident smile before she prepared her humane trap of freshwater salmon on the back on the truck with a ramp attached to the edge for the tiger to enter with.

"Seems like that tiger is already tamed." Parlia quoted in her sweet voice. "Catching him will be a piece of cake. I'll be soooooo jealous when I see who adopts this tiger once we catch him. Look at his fur."

"I see." Karthaji replied as she just finished laying down the ramp. "His fur is snow white, but he has pink stripes and purple eyes. I wonder how he came into existence."

"Who knows? Let's just be happy that he's here, alive, and ready to be adopted. I'll be in the truck. Be careful, girl."

"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine. I've dealt with creatures like him before."

After that was said, Karthaji carefully approached the tiger with one of the delicious fish in her hand while she clicked her tongue to get his attention. After two minutes of trying, the tiger finally got her attention and softly roared with appreciation as he stood up from where he was and slowly started to approach her with a smile. Karthaji smiled with him as she carefully lured him towards her truck.

In the truck's passenger seat, Parlia was watching this event from a rear view mirror with a sweet smile, but it quickly turned into a frown as she saw what she didn't see before both of the women arrived: a steel trap… between Karthaji and the tiger. The shocking thing about this event was the fact that neither one of those two didn't see the trap in their path. Parlia was about to warn her best friend about the trap, but before she could even open the car door…

_SNAP!_

"_ROAAAAAAARRRRRRR!" _The tiger roared at his loudest as he stepped on the trap he didn't see and it was literally ripping off his right front paw as he tried to get himself free. Karthaji screamed with horror before she tried to help him get the trap off. Parlia poked her head out of the open car door and dashed out to help her best friend with the tiger. After five minutes, police sirens were heard and Parlia quickly ran towards the source of the sound and tried to plead to the officers that it was accidental, but they didn't buy it. They immediately accused Karthaji of being cruel to a rare animal and tried to arrest her. She resisted the arrest by dashing right through the row of officers in a flash and got in the driver's seat of the truck with Parlia not too far behind, getting in the passenger seat before Karthaji drove off in a crazy speed of 100 miles per hour.

Fifteen minutes later…

Johnnie and Tommy just saw Karthaji bust in through the front door of their house and she was breathing heavily with exhaustion with a look of fear all over her sweaty face. Johnnie was shocked and speechless, unable to utter any words of question, but as for Tommy, he had one brave question:

"Mommy, what did you do?"

Immediately after that was asked, the police busted in through the same door and tackled Karthaji towards the carpet floor face first with her arms held behind her back, ready to be handcuffed and put into custody. Johnnie was still speechless and shocked at the event, but Tommy was close to crying at any moment as he watched his sweet, sweet Mother get arrested from his Father's strong arms. Karthaji struggled with all her might and even kicked one of the officers on top of her on his ass and he reacted immediately by counterattacking with a tazer, shocking her with over 5,000 volts of electricity right at the nape of her neck. Seeing this finally made Johnnie speak with extreme anger.

"HEY!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "WHAT'S ALL DIS SHIT ABOUT?"

"Sir, please do not interfere with this. Your wife is accused of animal cruelty and should be punished." The sheriff replied in a gruff country voice. "Please stay back, if you value your life."

"Ya'll know my wife would neva harm no animals! Ya'll must be stupid!"

"SIR! Don't make me arrest you as well for discrimination!"

"Grrrrr!"

Tommy's unusual watery glare towards the scene of the officers shocking his Mother gives him a piece of a revelation that he didn't want to remember. His conversation with Fate gave him the fact that something bad would happen to someone who is dear to him, but he didn't expect it to be his own Mother, who has been an angel even before he was born! He knows that she didn't do it, but the police were just stubborn about the idea. When the sheriff saw his gloomy stare, he whistled to stop the shocking, leaving Karthaji laying there in an unconscious state. The other officers were confused as to why.

"Johnnie, is that your son?" He asked. Johnnie's angry face became a look of confusion, but he remained cooperative.

"Uh… yeah. He's my son. This is Tommy. He just turned five yesterday." Johnnie replied in a calm voice.

"He's adorable. I don't want to send his Mother to jail, but according to the facts, a very rare animal has been hurt and she was on the scene when the attack happened. Therefore, we only have one other alternative…"

"Just name it, chief!"

"We can send her to a more peaceful prison where she will be treated with respect and you two can move to a home close to her."

"And where will that peaceful prison be?"

"Tokyo, Japan."

"O…kay. Hopefully, it's warmer over there, too. Can Tommy's best friend's family come with us? Tommy just gets lonely at school without his best friend."

"Sure."

"Good. How soon do we need to go?"

"Now."

And so, Tommy's little Fate conversations really paid off. Now, the next thing he faces: his possible future… in college.

To be continued…


	2. 16 Years Later

Chapter 2: 16 Years Later and Hell Dies into Heaven's Hands

The decision was made for Tommy and his Father to move to Japan where Karthaji would be kept in a safer jail, but this still left a burning feeling in little Tommy's chest. Just the fact that he won't live with his Mother was just overwhelming for the fragile heart of an only child to handle. Even though he had his best friend, Bobby Fallace, to support him through those rough times, he was still carrying that extremely heavy burden he just couldn't ignore. Even high school was hard for him to deal with.

Thirteen years later, at Tommy's age of 18 and Bobby's age of 17, both boys were very successful high school seniors. They both took football and had outstanding records in their own field. Bobby's role as a receiver has really made most other football players jealous. At his height of four feet and nine inches tall and at a weight of 108 pounds, he was the fastest in the team and, at his impressive speed, he has never, ever made an incomplete pass nor fumbled. No defensive player could ever catch up to his track star speed of a receiver. For that performance, he received the title of MVP of the entire senior class. As for Tommy, he was nicknamed "The Mighty Powerhouse" because at his incredible height of six feet and eight inches tall and an extremely massive muscular weight of 279 pounds, he was the best when it came to stopping the other team from getting to the end zone. In fact, Tommy grew to be so big that his arms were just as thick as his thighs.

Tommy's impressive diesel muscles are for many girls to drool over, but there was only one girl he was in love with at the time: Sasha Nicole Marshall. He loves her with all of his heart, but something about her melodramatically confident attitude was causing a bit of a skeptical stir within his strong heart. Her constant bragging was not only annoying to the other students, but to Tommy as well. As gentle as he was, just coming up into her face and telling her he hated her was just not going to fly with him so easily. A miracle had to happen and, so far, he was starting to get pretty impatient. Regardless of this, Tommy managed to keep his relationship with Sasha alive.

Three more years later, graduation was headed their way and Sasha was qualified into a college way in North America… Seattle, Washington to be exact… while Tommy, Bobby, and the rest of the football team were actually enrolled into Sarusuberi University, thanks to an outstanding academic and athletic performance from every single team member and, as for the coach of the team, Coach Broderick Johnson, he was named "Best High School Coach of Japan" and he was allowed to travel with his team to the University to continue his professional coaching with his old team. Tommy refused to inform Sasha of this news and he confessed that to his teammates on their bus ride to Sarusuberi.

"Say what?" Bobby exclaimed in his young Southern voice. "You didn't tell Sasha 'bout this? Why not?"

"Have you ever seen me smile for her when she was called up to get her diploma?" Tommy asked in his sexy and extremely deep male voice.

"Naw, not really. In fact, you haven't been so happy at all with her ever since you had your first date wit her. You used to be so damn happy together! What the hell happened, man?"

"Her cocky attitude is just overly dramatic. She's constantly bragging about having me and she even treats me like I don't really deserve her."

"But, she's so pretty, man!" Brutus protested. He was about two inches shorter than Tommy, but had forty percent more muscle.

"But, her beauty doesn't seem to make too much of a damn difference at dis rate, man."

"Then, leave her, damn it!" Coach Broderick yelled at Tommy, who remained strict as he turned his attention towards his coach. "I've seen her around odder boys since yo' relationship even started. She don't love you, boy!"

"I figured that."

"Humph! 'Ya figured dat'… my ass!"

"I just hate to admit these things to her personally. I just… I just can't…"

"Can't tell her your true feelings?" Bobby completed for his best friend, who nodded in agreement, looking out the window aimlessly. "Shit, man. What am I gonna do with ya?"

"Just… let me coax all of this down alone for a few minutes. Sasha may not know about my departure to Sarusuberi, but then again, she doesn't _need _to know. As long as she's not in my ear or in my sights, I am at peace… and if you guys don't like the idea, then you all can kiss my ass."

Nobody said a word after that statement. They knew that Tommy was telling the honest truth about how badly he wants his relationship with Sasha to end, but the hardest part is the actual announcement to Sasha herself. For now, Tommy was silently searching for a new girl to enter his life. He didn't care who the girl was or what she looked like… as long as she didn't have the same identical devilish attitude as Sasha.

Fifteen silent minutes later…

The Nagasaki High School bus finally pulled up into the rear end of Sarusuberi University and there was already a hustle and bustle of all of the students getting to and from their classes. Coach Broderick and Tommy were the first two to step off and they both smiled, despite what they were just talking about prior to the arrival.

"Big college, eh?" Broderick commented. Tommy nodded in agreement, keeping his mouth shut. "I hear dis school ain't got no football team. If we play dis right, we should start this school's very first game here by next week."

"I'm surprised." Tommy nonchalantly agreed. "Most of these girls are pretty cute here."

"Yeah-wait-what? Dat's all dat was on yo' mind? I thought you were commenting on the fact that we were gonna be da first football team."

"I heard you on that, but I wasn't really listening to the whole thing."

"Boy, you something else."

"Holy shit!" Bobby jumped out of the bus door with excitement. "College babes! Yeah!"

"Now, now, fellas. We ain't here to flirt… yet. First, we need to talk to the Dean and see if he can accept our team officially."

"Oooh! Oooh! Then, we get to meet some cute girls?"

"Yeah, Bobby. Then, you can meet some cute girls. Horny dog… yeech!"

Ten minutes later…

"Knock, knock!" Broderick playfully sang as he slowly opened the door to the Dean's office. Morris, the Dean himself, looked up at the Coach's head peeking through the door with a cheesy grin. Morris chuckled as he motioned for him and the football team to come in. "Hey, Mr. Dean… sir."

"Call me Dean Morris. Come on in, boys. I provided chairs for every one of you… except the two big players in the back there." The entire team obeyed and Coach Broderick sat in the very front with Bobby sitting right next to him. Tommy and Brutus were the only two people who stood in the very back, having Brutus gently close the door behind him. "Who are those two in the back, by the way… before we start this meeting?"

"They are two out of the three best players in my team: Tommy Jaymes Jones and Brutus Harrison Valchester. They are the linebackers."

"I can tell just by looking at them. Now, let's get down to the real topic. Broderick, I have been hearing rumors that your team is, without a single doubt, the best of the best when it comes to football. Is this true?"

"Yes, sir… and let me tell ya, none of dese boys have disappointed me at all, especially my all-star receiver, Bobby. He has never missed a pass nor has an interception or fumble has been bestowed upon him. He is unstoppable and ruthless!"

"I see. So, your first game would be easy, huh?"

"Yep!"

"Good. I do look forward to our football field being used for the first time in over a hundred years. Just come up with a team name and you'll be in business."

"Thank ya so much, sir! Ya won't be disappointed once we start."

"Excellent. In the meantime, here are the boys' schedules and assigned dorm rooms. Each of them will get to choose a roommate or choose to live with one of our enrolled students, but they have to choose wisely because they can only have one roommate."

After that was stated, Tommy reluctantly took his respective schedule and headed straight to his first class with Brutus and Bobby not too far behind him. The first class just so happens to be Trigonometry. Bobby groaned at his loudest as he, Brutus, and Tommy just arrived at the door.

"Trig, though?" Bobby complained. "I'm gonna fail right on the spot!"

"Don't give up just yet." Tommy encouraged. "The main mission at this point is just an introduction to the professor and our fellow classmates."

"And some cute girls." Brutus added with hearts in his eyes. Bobby agreed by frantically nodding his head with a cheesy grin. Tommy shook his head with humor and a smile before he took a gentle hold on the doorknob and twisted it open. Once the door was completely opened, the Professor immediately stopped his lesson and greeted the three men with a smile.

"Well, well, well… what have we here?" The wise Professor greeted with a sweet Grandfather tone. "New students this year, eh?"

"We apologize for interrupting your class, sir." Tommy apologized with a nod. "We are a bit late, you see."

"And I'll accept that. Welcome to Sarusuberi University, gentlemen. Before you three take your seats, please do introduce yourselves to everyone. I'll just step out of your way here…" The Professor paused as he moved to his left by a good three steps before Tommy, Brutus, and Bobby took his spot behind the desk. "…by the way, my name is Professor Frank."

"Nice to meet ya, man!" Bobby replied with a smile. "Uh… hi, everybody. Um… my name is Bobby Fallace and I'm here with my football team. We all just happened to be enrolled in the same college… all because this school doesn't even have a football team."

"I see… and what is your position in this team of yours?"

"Receiver. I'm the best when it comes to playin' fetch with my quarterback brother, Ryley. I have never missed a pass, never had an interception happen to me, or even cause a fumble when I get my ass kicked."

"Amazing! Simply amazing!"

"Thank ya!"

"You may take your seat right in front." Bobby did so as Brutus stepped up. "My, my… you're a big fellow."

"Yeah." Brutus agreed. "My name is Brutus Valchester. As you can see, I am pretty huge. It's really all muscle that weighs me down. You can say that I'm just about as muscular as Hakan."

"Huh! True, but what's with the hunched-over position your doing? Do you have a back problem or something along those lines?"

"It's my hands. They are so heavy that I just can't stand up straight for a long time. My back is just fine, though."

"Ohhh, okay. I see. Well, I'm guessing you are the linebacker."

"Yep. I'm just as good as Bobby with his receiver skills, except no opposing team player can get past me! I'm strong enough to lift you up by just holding you by your arm!"

"Yikes! I can clearly imagine you doing that to an opposing team player. I… don't know how you'll fit in a chair without breaking it. How about you just stay in that hunched over position, just to be safe?"

"Thanks. That's easier than even trying to sit. Thanks, Frank." After that was stated, Brutus took his spot right next to Bobby on his left. It was finally Tommy's turn and when he smiled at the audience of the students, only the girls fainted out of their chairs with hearts in their eyes. This sent the men looking at them with sweat drops behind their heads, including Tommy, despite him keeping the smile.

"Whoa…" Bobby muttered. "…talk about an extreme overload of cuteness."

"Indeed." Frank muttered in agreement before he cleared his throat. "Anyway, introduce yourself please."

"Okay." Tommy replied, keeping his smile in tact. "My name is Tommy Jones. I am also a linebacker for my team and I'm also the team's captain… sort of."

"Tommy, huh? As big as you are, I actually expected a name like Brutus to be your name. Why Tommy?"

"It was a name that slipped out of my drunken Father's mouth when I was born. He was already celebrating at that time and he just couldn't get his hangover in time. My full name is Tommy Jaymes Jones."

"Huh! Interesting! Now, about your qualities as a linebacker… are you just as good as Brutus?"

"I'm better than Brutus, yes. My teammates call me 'The Mighty Powerhouse' of the team because of my extreme power and muscles."

"Which are just as impressive as Brutus' as well… but your heights seem a little different."

"I'm six feet and eight inches tall."

"I'm only six feet and two inches tall." Brutus added. Bobby frowned.

"I'm four-nine." He muttered. Frank shook his head with humor.

"Don't feel bad, Bobby. At your height, it's no wonder you're so good as a receiver." Frank reassured with a smile. "Anyway, thank you, Tommy. You may take your seat."

"Thank you, sir." Tommy replied as he took his seat on Bobby's right side.

"It surely is a pleasure to meet all three of you. Good luck and please do enjoy yourselves. Who knows? One of you three might run into my best student: Ibuki."

"WHAAAAAAA?" Bobby and Brutus gasped with shock before they joined the ladies to the floor. Tommy grew wide eyed and speechless. He had also completely forgotten that Ibuki was in this college.

"You all shouldn't be so surprised. You do know her, correct?"

"Yeah." Tommy managed to reply. "Is… is she here?"

"In this classroom?"

"Yes."

"No. She had practice for something, I forgot what it was. She'll be finished by lunch time. You can meet her then."

"Yikes…"

An hour and a half later, at the Café…

The entire football team met at the biggest center roundtable in the place and Tommy and Bobby just took their seats with their free Bento boxes. Broderick was at the biggest chair and he just smiled at his team.

"Well, guys… here we are… lunchtime… at the jock table…" He started with humor. Ryley caught the joke and chuckled.

"Ya'll can stop dat, man." He protested. "We got it."

"I know. I just wanted to add a little humor. How were your classes, fellas?"

"Boring so far." Bobby muttered as he took his first bite into his Bento. "Oh… except when Professor Frank mentioned that Ibuki was his best student."

"WHAT?" All of the other players, except Tommy and Brutus, exclaimed with shock.

"Yep. Ya'll forgot, didn't you?"

"Yeah!"

"Awkward." Broderick muttered. "Did ya'll meet her?"

"Not yet." Tommy replied. "But…"

"Tommy?" Bobby looked at his frozen best friend with concern. Tommy had paused in the middle of his statement when he just had a deep thought about Sasha. He still didn't tell her the news about him being in Sarusuberi and having to mention Ibuki made him have deep feelings about the young kunoichi. With that being the case, he started to feel a bit of a heartburn before he dashed off to the Men's restroom in a state of panic. Bobby, fearing for his safety, followed him just as quickly. Broderick felt just as concerned and followed the two boys calmly, telling the boys to stay where they are.

In the hallway…

Tommy was still rushing to the restroom in an extreme hurry, holding his burning chest with every last bit of his strength. In his mind as he ran, many flashes of what would happen to Sasha if he were to tell her about his enrollment into Sarusuberi. He saw her literally beating him senseless, using every weapon at her disposal: a pocket knife, her fists, her feet, and even some furniture. He quickly opened his eyes, but before he even realized it, he saw an adorable woman talking to a friend before him and he couldn't stop in time before he ran into her, getting her knocked to the floor with him and her friend. The sudden impact caused the surrounding students to watch with curiosity. Bobby had just arrived at the scene with Broderick not too far behind.

Tommy was laid on his back, still holding his burning chest in extreme pain. He managed to gather enough strength to see who he ran into. He grew wide eyed when he saw the same cute girl before the collision. She was about five feet and four inches tall with her long brown hair stopping just before her thighs. She was wearing an orange t-shirt with a brown skirt and white sneakers on her feet. The real turn-around to her appearance were the all-too-familiar three strands of hair hanging in front of her face. Her glossy chocolate brown eyes looked right at him with a look of both shock and disappointment, due to the fact that she was rudely interrupted. Bobby pushed himself through the crowd and helped his heavy friend to his feet as he spoke.

"Sorry about that." Bobby immediately apologized to the girl. "Tommy was just having a minor heartburn. He didn't see you there."

"No, no… Bobby." Tommy weakly reassured as he finally got to his feet. "I apologize for our collision and I hope you can forgive me." After that was stated, he slowly offered one of his huge hands to her. She looked at it for a minute before she reluctantly took it he pulled her up to her feet a little too quickly, but she managed to regain her balance just as quickly afterwards. "My chest feels a little better now. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." The girl finally spoke in an adorable voice. "You're kinda cute, though. What's your name again? Tommy?"

"Yeah. I know, it's kind of weird, but it was something my drunk Dad let slip into the ears of the nurses. I actually do like my name regardless."

"That's good. By the way, how come your chest was hurting before? Was it something you ate?"

"I wish… but it was actually because of my girlfriend, Sasha. I keep thinking about her and her cocky attitude is really causing my fragile heart and mind to split open. I never told her I was enrolled here."

"How come? Don't you love her?"

"I do, but my heart is saying I don't. Why?"

"…Nothing." The girl frowned as she started to tear up. Tommy noticed this and tried to soothe her, but she pushed him away. "Don't worry about me. I was just… curious."

"Seems like more than just curiosity. What's your name, anyway? You do look vaguely familiar."

"You know who I am, then."

"…Mmm! I just got it."

"…" The girl kept her head bowed down with her glossy brown eyes closed with tears slowly pouring out from them as she turned around with her back facing the other students, Tommy, Bobby, and Broderick, who gasped with shock after a good five minutes and said in his loudest capacity:

"Ibuki?"

Tommy froze with shock as well as Bobby before he fainted for the second time. Ibuki slowly nodded as she walked off to her dorm for the day, having her newest best friend, Kendra, close behind.

A few hours later, in Tommy's dorm room…

Bobby just plopped himself down on his bed before Tommy slowly walked in and closed the door with a solemn look on his face.

"Holy sh-hit, man!" Bobby exclaimed as he sat up. "I can't believe that was actually Ibuki! What happened, man? I missed most of it."

"She told me I was cute." Tommy replied with a frown.

"Aww, have I not heard that before?"

"But, she really meant it. It was like… she was interested in me, but when I told her about my internal struggle with Sasha…" Tommy paused as he slowly turned around and showed his face drenched with his tears. "…she immediately got upset and… she just didn't want to face me anymore."

"Maybe it's the fact that she loves you, not like you."

"I don't know, Bobby. Ibuki's too cute to let down… and her face was just telling me to leave Sasha."

"Why don't you then? It's not like it's gonna be the end of the world when you do tell her."

"Yeah, that's true. I don't know why I'm being such a bastard. I need to tell Sasha the truth. I have to tell her that… I don't love her anymore and that's it."

"You really think it'll be that easy, Tommy? Have you checked out her attitude lately? She's a bitch! She doesn't care about you, she's using you, and she's manipulating you, too. Now that I know what that word means."

"How is she manipulatin' me?"

"You just don't pay attention, do you? Let's say she walks into a family gathering, a'ight? And she's comin' all up in there sayin' 'Hey, ya'll. Check out _my _man! Ain't he good lookin'?' and your dumb-ass agreed with her because she swore to kill you if you disagree."

"Dat's not true! She would never resort to killing me!"

"Keep lyin' to yourself, man. You oughta realize it sooner or later. Here's the other thing: She doesn't know your half-Korean."

"She doesn't?"

"Nope… and did you know that she also has an issue with Korea itself?"

"…no."

"There ya go! Now you're gettin' da picture."

"…but… how could she…"

"Face it, Tommy. Sasha just doesn't seem like the perfect girl for you. What? You're too sweet and gentle to admit it to her?"

"…Yes." Tommy took in every word. He knew deep down that Sasha was indeed not the right girl for him, despite his love towards her. Ibuki was on his mind now, but he didn't know how he should reveal this fact to Sasha. For now, he waited until tomorrow to see what he should do about all this.

As for Ibuki…

She heard every word from the conversation through those not-so-thick walls, due to the fact that she was right next door to the two boys. Luckily, she just finished homework before she heard the whole conversation and her frown immediately turned into a smile… slightly. Her new albino best friend, Kendra Washington, saw her from her bed on the opposite side of the room and she smiled with her.

"Awkward meeting with Tommy, huh?" Kendra started in her sweet, but deep female voice. Ibuki nodded as she sighed.

"Yeah, it was." She replied. "But, even though he said that his heart was hurting for a while and it felt better, I somehow could sense that he was still burning just a little. Judging by that conversation, though, I'd say he's finally realized that whoever Sasha is… is really a professional bitch."

"Why professional?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ibuki stood up and walked over to her friend as she continued. "Her constant manipulation is really taking a strong toll on him and Tommy never wanted to tell her the real truth behind his hatred towards her because of it. He loves her too much to disappoint her, so overall, he was successfully hypnotized into believing that he still loves her, just so he won't feel like killing himself in the process."

"Yikes. I see that now. How are you gonna get him out of this spell?"

"I can't. Two reasons: One, I don't know Sasha too well and two, Tommy has to do it himself. I'll only help him, if he needs it."

"Phew! Good. So, until then, just admit this to me: Do you love Tommy?"

"…" Ibuki smiled with red cheeks on her face before she slowly turned around and walked back to her bed before she slowly got in it and fell asleep. Kendra got the hint immediately and smiled along with her before she too fell asleep as well.

To be continued…


	3. Getting to Know Tommy's Struggle

Chapter 3: Getting to Know Tommy's Struggle

It could be just the beginning for Tommy's unexpected encounter with Ibuki and these two are just warming up to each other. For Tommy, his smile did very little effect on hiding his internal struggle with dealing with Sasha's stubborn heart and his Mother, Karthaji, imprisoned for a crime she would never, ever commit and Ibuki could sense his mind's dilemma. She could just bring it up as her first subject in a conversation, but after seeing that Tommy suffered a minor heartburn from him thinking about Sasha, she decided to try to find someway to let it slip instead. In the meantime, she really wanted to get to know Tommy personally and emotionally. She was ready to cry with him, hug him, soothe him, and hopefully… eventually… _kiss _him. Just thinking about that made her spend more time in the shower than she usually did and this worried Kendra as she was combing her long pale white hair in her section of the room.

"What's up with Ibuki?" She asked herself in wonder. "She sure is taking her time with her shower. She usually gets in and out in fifteen minutes, but it's been past seventeen minutes now and she's still not out yet. She's gonna make us late."

"Knock, knock!" Bobby's cheerful voice exclaimed through the door before he slowly opened it and peeked his head through. "Heeeeeey, Kendra. Good mornin'!"

"Good morning, Bobby." Kendra greeted sweetly. "You're cheerful this morning."

"Yep. I am soooooo ready for my first full day here. Tommy's just getting out the door."

"Great. You won't be panicking this time, will you?"

"Not a chance! Right, Tommy?"

"Yeah." Tommy came in with a handsome smile, wearing a white tank top and baggy blue jeans with boots, as he pushed the door open. "Hey, Kendra. How you doin', baby?"

"Very well, thank you." Kendra replied. "You know, for someone who's so big and so tall, you sure are gentle. Do you get this from your Mother?"

"Yeah. I love her so much. I just… wish she didn't have to be in prison. She still hasn't called me since her imprisonment."

"Hang in there, Tommy. She will call you eventually. Now, you two get to your class. Ibuki and I will catch up."

"A'ight!" Bobby replied as he dashed downstairs to the main halls. Tommy still stood there and watched him run off. When his childhood friend was gone, Tommy brought his attention back to Kendra with a look of curiosity and Kendra just smiled as she placed her brush down and styled her hair in a ponytail.

"Kendra?" Tommy started.

"Yes, Tommy?" She replied, looking at the gentle giant from the mirror.

"Where is Ibuki?"

"She's in the shower. Apparently, she could've been here, styling her hair next to me by now, but she's still inside. Damn sound-proof doors. I can't hear a thing."

"Can she hear you?"

"Yes, but I can't hear her. Can you do me a favor and see if you can check on her? I can't reach the doorknob and there aren't any items in here that can help me reach it."

"Sho' thang, lil' Kendra." Tommy's smile grew as he walked into the girls' room and he approached the bathroom door on the far right side of the room. He placed an ear to it and, like Kendra said, it was sound-proof and he couldn't even make out the sound of dripping water from a faulty sink, if there was one. He slowly led one of his huge hands to the doorknob and, to his surprise, the door was unlocked! He looked back at Kendra with his famous calm smile and this got the albino dwarf's attention as she just hopped off the bed and approached him. "It's unlocked."

"Is it? Well! This is quite a surprise. Open the door for me, but don't follow me in. Let me see what's happening first."

"Okay." Tommy obeyed as Kendra slowly walked inside. When she was standing next to the sink, she silently motioned for Tommy to close the door behind her. Once again, he obeyed and patiently waited for the results.

Inside the bathroom, Kendra heard the shower still running, but the thick green curtains were blocking the action on the other side. Her curious mind commanded her to get a little closer to the curtains, but before she got too close, she heard a sound that she really wished she didn't hear: a passionate moan of lust and desperation. She took two steps back with caution before she heard that same sound get louder and louder every three seconds, then every two seconds with frantic breathing on the side. Kendra figured out what was going on in the shower and she was wide eyed with shock and disgust as she continued to back away until her hands tapped on the door in a desperate attempt to get out. Tommy opened it and Kendra dashed out in a split second and headed out of the room to her class with Bobby. Tommy was a little confused, but before he could contemplate a question, he heard the same sounds that scared the short woman away. He became as curious as a puppy as he walked inside with no fear, no signs of being nervous, and not even a bead of sweat on his face or body. He got as close to the curtains as he could and he just stood there, hearing more than just desperate breathing, moaning, and passionate groans. The cute voice sounded too familiar to him and he decided to sit on the closed toilet seat and slowly opened the curtain and he smiled as he saw what he expected: Ibuki was pleasuring herself on the shower floor. Her legs were wide open as she continued to vigorously force her first two fingers from her right hand in and out of her moist and hairless vaginal lips while the shower was still drenching her with hot steamy water. The only shocking part about this scene before the gentle giant linebacker was that Ibuki never noticed his presence. Her eyes were closed and her back was arched in a sultry curve as she felt her orgasm was coming at any second. Tommy managed to maintain his crotch from standing at attention inside his pants as he continued to watch the kunoichi give herself the sexy roller coaster ride of her dreams.

Finally, after the slowest three minutes Tommy has ever sat through, Ibuki screeched at her loudest capacity as she quickly pulled out her wet and sticky fingers and her body was just jerking on its own accord, riding through her most intense orgasm ever since she first started right after bathing herself, which was about a good six minutes ago. Tommy immediately moved his head out of the curtains as he saw her pussy juices squirt out of her like a watergun in between the automatic jerks. Tommy wanted to chuckle, but he kept quiet as he heard Ibuki's screams of extreme ecstasy for the next two minutes before she finally calmed down and sat up. Before she could stand up, Tommy peeked his head back through the curtains and smiled. Ibuki didn't even flinch with surprise or look offended. She just smiled right back at him and allowed his beautiful bright green eyes to scan her naked body for a while. His eyes roamed all over her wet body and just admired her in his mind. His eyes stopped at her breasts and he could just imagine if they were just his desired size, which is C-cup. He continued to scan her body and abruptly stopped and looked away as he was just about to catch a good glimpse of Ibuki's dripping pussy. She giggled in her cutest as she finally stood up and turned off the steamy water before she grabbed her robe from where she stood, slipped it on behind the curtains, and stepped out, leaving her long brown hair dripping wet behind her as she looked right at the blushing football player before her.

"Hey, Tommy." She greeted sweetly. "What's up?"

"Nothin'." Tommy replied quickly, still keeping himself from looking beyond the robe. "Kendra was just… um… worried about you. She was wondering what you were… uh… doing… in here."

"I see. We have much to talk about at lunch and, hopefully, Study Hall later. So, you better do your homework." Ibuki approached Tommy and gently stroked his soft right cheek and sideburns before she headed out of the bathroom to get changed. "You can head on to class now. I'll catch up."

"S-s-s-sure."

Ten minutes later…

Bobby and Kendra were already sitting in their Chemistry class as partners in an experiment as the professor was patiently waiting for Ibuki and Tommy to arrive. Kendra was still shaking a little next to Bobby and this concerned him.

"Uh… Kendra?" Bobby started. "What-uh… what's goin' on?"

"Ibuki!" Kendra exclaimed. "She… she was… was…"

"Was doin' what?"

"Somethin' personal that the whole class doesn't need to know." Tommy came in with his smooth attitude that Bobby remembers. Ibuki came in shortly after him with her signature ponytail in her hair this time. Tommy and Ibuki ended up sitting next to each other in the table on Bobby's left side. As they took their seats, the female professor in her mid fifties began the lesson.

"There you are, you two." She greeted in her gentle voice. "Now, let's begin. Today, we are going to create… supernatural creatures. Why, you may ask? Because I, Professor Jarlina, love animals just as much as Tommy here. He came up with the idea long before this class started."

"Oooooooh!" The whole class, except Kendra, Ibuki, and Bobby murmured with amazement. Those three just stared at him with shock. Tommy sat there with dignity and a confident smile as Jarlina continued.

"Amazing, isn't it? Now, today's animal is one that even I have the most interest in: The Komodo Dragon. I hear they are huge lizards with a mean attitude, but I bet we can create one that's not so mean, but I don't know about its size. We'll just have to experiment and see. So, for today, I want you all to find out as much information on this amazing monitor lizard as you possibly can. That is your homework for today, but you can work on it now for the remainder of the class. Consider this your… 'free time'. Enjoy yourselves."

"Had to pick a komodo dragon, didn't ya, man?" Bobby asked with humor as he pulled out his laptop. "I envy you already."

"Heh, heh." Tommy chuckled. "Don't. Just consider something for the entire college to get involved in. Komodo Dragons don't get too much attention these days and this just might be the perfect opportunity."

"Aww, gee. No shit! Maybe because they're cold killers!"

"I think you're on to something here." Kendra commented. "I respect you, Tommy. Your Mother's spirit is lingering in you somewhere."

"Thanks, Kendra. Ibuki, do you have anything to say about this?"

"Well…" Ibuki started with humor as she started writing down some information from Tommy's laptop. "…Despite the fact that this lizard might make Don its lunch, I'm actually fascinated by this animal. If this is what you want us to make a mutated version of, then fine by me."

"Good."

"By the way, what happened upstairs, Tommy?" Bobby dared to ask. Tommy cleared his throat while Ibuki blushed, trying to get her notebook to hide it. This got Jarlina's attention.

"Hmmmm… Tommy?" Jarlina called out. The linebacker immediately gave his Professor his undivided attention. "What exactly did happen up there that kept us waiting?"

"You don't need to know, Jarlina." Tommy replied in an expert tone of his deep voice. "This is a private matter."

"I see. Well, you can resume your research then. Sorry for interrupting."

"Your apology is accepted, ma'am."

An hour and fifteen minutes later, at lunch…

Ibuki and Kendra joined the football team's table this time, having Ibuki sit next to Tommy while Kendra sat next to Bobby. Broderick was astonished to see the two ladies sitting with them and decided to compliment on that.

"Well, well, well." The elderly coach started. "It's good to see you two ladies sittin' here wit us. Fo' what purpose, if I may?"

"Just to hang out." Ibuki replied immediately after swallowing her first bite of her Bento. "I heard you guys are unstoppable when it comes to football."

"And you heard right, sweetie. My boys are da best, 'specially Bobby here. His receivin' skills are so sick, even his speed is making the opposing team lose their lunches like hell!"

"Cool!"

"And Kendra?"

"Yes, Coach?" Kendra greeted politely.

"You're new to my eyes. Where da hell did you come from?"

"I'm a foreign exchange student from Russia."

"Russia?" Tommy came in, nearly choking on his food. This made Ibuki do a worried side-glance at him with a frown.

"Yes. Why?"

"That's where my family and I lived in for a little while… until my Mother got arrested."

"Wow. Isn't that funny?"

"Not really."

"Hmmmm…" Ibuki hummed with deep thought. She continued to look deeper into Tommy's fragile heart and mind as the conversation about Tommy's mother continued.

"Those Russians didn't even give her a chance to plea. They just… shocked her and relocated her and my family here in Japan. I haven't seen her since."

"Aww, you poor boy. I know I might sound like I'm about to tease you, but are you what they call a… 'Mama's Boy'?"

"I admit it, yeah. I am an only child."

_Oh, no. _Ibuki gasped in her head. _It's no wonder he's in so much misery… and his burden is just weighing him down like a ton of bricks! Just helping him for a little while might brighten things up a little… but first… _

"Uh, Tommy?" Ibuki came in with a look of concern. Tommy looked at her with a small smile. He just loved hearing her cute voice. "Before I bring up the story behind what happened in the shower earlier-"

"Say what?" Broderick interrupted with shock. Bobby immediately shushed him as Ibuki continued.

"Uh… as I was saying… before I bring… _that_ up, why does all of this negativity have to happen to your extremely sensitive heart of an only child?"

"…" Tommy was shocked to hear such a question come out of someone like Ibuki. Then again, he knew she was a ninja and she has the knowledge. He shook the shock out of him as he spoke.

"That's life, Ibuki." Tommy replied. "Good things don't happen to good people all the time and I'm no exception. Having my heart suffer the pain of my beloved Mother in prison mixed in with the painful future Sasha might give me just gives me the strength to just give up on Sasha and just keep my Mother's spirit within my very soul to guide me."

"Somehow, I knew you were gonna say something like that. Take this advice from me… Ibuki… okay? Your heart may not have the strength to withstand the hardship of leaving the woman you love, but it does have the strength to make you decide your own fate. Don't let the word 'manipulation' take over your sense of direction. So what if Sasha continues to brag about you in public? Do bystanders listen to her?"

"No… at least… not the men."

"But, what about women? Do they listen?"

"…I don't know, but…"

"You don't care."

"…Mm!" Tommy bowed his head with shame. He knew that was true and Ibuki frowned as she gently placed one hand under his chin and guided his face to look right into her chocolate brown eyes.

"Tommy, listen to me. You, your heart, your mind, and your instincts are all you need to depend on for your own decisions. For now, you focus on your Mother. As long as Sasha doesn't pester you about the same thing over and over again, you will be at ease with your soul."

"But, what if she still wants me in her heart? Leaving her isn't that easy."

"I never said it was gonna be easy. Most of this shit isn't easy, but you can take it, can you?"

"Yeah."

"Then this might be a shocker to you. Tommy, at this very moment…" Ibuki paused as she slowly got extremely close to Tommy's right ear and finished her statement by whispering: "…Sasha… is cheating on you."

This made Tommy's heart stop. He looked at her with wide green eyes and Ibuki's serious face with a little dash of her cuteness told him she told the truth. He slowly started to cry, but didn't make a sound as he sat back in his chair with guilt and leaned his head back with anger. This worried his childhood friend as he looked at Ibuki with shock.

"Ibuki!" He nearly screamed. "What da hell did you tell him?"

"What do you think?" Ibuki asked smoothly as she picked up her Bento box, stood up, and gently tapped Tommy on the left shoulder. He didn't move his head from where it was, but he opened his drenched eyes of sadness as he listened. "Tommy, meet me at that table in the back when you've calmed down. Okay?" Tommy managed to nod in response before Ibuki headed for that very table in the back. It was deserted and completely clean before she arrived and took her seat, looking right at Tommy with her serious face still turned on. Tommy finally wiped his tears before he sat up and faced his team, his coach, and Kendra.

"What happened, mate?" Ryley dared to ask. "What did Ibuki say?"

"Fellas… Coach… Kendra… Ibuki just told me dat… dat… Sasha… is currently… cheatin' on me." Tommy struggled to say. This got the entire table completely silent for a few seconds before Bobby finally came in.

"WHAT THE FUCK, MAN?" He screamed. Fortunately, it wasn't loud enough to get the whole cafeteria's attention. "Didn't I tell ya she was no good? Huh-huh? Did I? HUH?"

"How could she do this to me? I have to call her and see what she's doin'."

"Don't you wanna talk to Ibuki first? She looked like she has somethin' important to say, son." Broderick suggested.

"Yeah. Sasha's cheatin' ass can wait! Shoo! Mothafuckin' bitch…" Tommy grabbed his tray and headed for the lonely table where Ibuki sat patiently. She looked up from her lunch and just saw the angry Tommy sit down before her, having his back facing his team and Kendra. He folded his huge and extremely muscular arms on the table and just sat there in a casual position as he spoke.

"You alright?" Ibuki asked smoothly, still eating her lunch while keeping her eyes focused on Tommy.

"I knew she wasn't too good for me." Tommy replied. "Bobby was right about everything. Why didn't I see any of this comin'?"

"Your heart has been completely brainwashed… and that's exactly how Sasha wanted it. It's not your fault, though."

"Then, who's is it? That's one answer I demand to know…" Tommy paused as he slammed his fist on the table with all the strength he could, only creating a small dent on his side of the table. This didn't startle Ibuki at all. It only made her smart look seem even smoother. "…now!"

"You wanna know?"

"Yes!"

"It's Fate's fault."

"…Fate?" Tommy calmed down as he listened and listened hard.

"Yeah. Makes perfect sense, right?"

"I… guess… wait! I remember Fate…" This statement made Ibuki a little confused until Tommy continued. "…I remember… back when I was a kid… I used to have these… _conversations_ with Fate in and out of my sleep. It happened in daycare one day and it just shocked my parents when they first heard about it. He kept telling me that one girl will betray me while another will take me. At first, I didn't know what he meant by that, but now…" Tommy paused as he looked at the table with deep thought. Ibuki did the same as she just finished her meal and took a small sip of her iced coffee. After about three minutes, they both slowly looked at each other with not-too-wide eyes with realization before Tommy finished by saying: "…You can't possibly be…"

"…Maybe. I do find you cute… and not to mention…" Ibuki paused as her eyes slowly scanned Tommy's clothed body. Even though he was wearing a tank top, she could still see his impressive muscles underneath. She purred on the inside. "…sexy."

"Hmm! You cute, too, baby… especially with your hair down."

"Really?" Ibuki took out the ponytail and allowed her long brown hair to flow freely behind her, making her more beautiful than ever. Tommy felt Cupid's arrow pierce his heart, but he avoided making a passionate smile and replaced it with a handsome small one instead. "Do you think I should keep it like this for a while?"

"Hell, yeah, Ibuki! You're prettier than Sasha."

"Awww, Tommy." Ibuki blushed as she turned away with shyness. Tommy chuckled at how adorable she was. His smile turned passionate before she turned her attention back to Tommy and she made the same seductive smile. "You think I'm the one for you, don't you?"

"What do you think?" Time seemed to freeze between the two as they were staring into each other's eyes. Tommy was a little caught off guard when Ibuki got on top of the table on her hands and knees and started to slowly crawl up to him. By the time she got to his face, Tommy slowly stood up to meet right at her exact height on the table before they slowly leaned in for a kiss. But before their lips met…

_Ring!_

The dismissal bell rang, signifying that lunch was officially over and the students had approximately ten minutes to get to their next class. Ibuki and Tommy immediately snapped out of their trance and they both blushed with embarassment before Ibuki professionally flipped off the table and landed just as perfectly on her feet behind Tommy before she went back around the table to gather her things. As she did so, Tommy turned around and saw his team approach him, having Broderick lead the way and Kendra made her way to Ibuki. Broderick chuckled.

"What was that, eh?" He asked the linebacker with humor. Tommy shook his head, telling him that he shouldn't explain it among a crowd. "Ohhh, okay. How 'bout you explain everythang when we get to practice afta school? Even though we ain't got a name for our team yet, we can still practice."

"That's better." Tommy agreed. The ladies walked past the team towards their next classes. Tommy watched the two leave, preferably Ibuki, as he smiled with passion. Ibuki sensed him watching her and stopped right at the door. This made Tommy jump with surprise for a short second before she slowly turned around and gave him her most seductive smile she could possibly perform and this sent chills down the tough linebacker's spine. Five seconds later, Ibuki winked sensually before she continued on her way to class. "Damn." That was all Tommy could say after all of that.

Later, after school in the deserted football field…

Broderick and his team just exited the locker room to check out the field. Broderick was shocked to see how green the grass was for such an abandoned place.

"Humph! They say its unused." Broderick muttered with sarcasm. "I'd say they're just sayin' dat just to gain attention to da details."

"They're probably keeping the field in good shape until we start." Bobby guessed. "We wouldn't wanna use a shitty field anyway."

"Yeah, you're right." Broderick nodded in agreement before he turned around to face his team. "Alrighty then, fellas. Let's make this first practice at this college worth it. Tommy, make sure you keep your defensive men in check, like you always do and Bobby, you do da same for your offense."

Twenty minutes later…

"Cool showers!" Brutus commented as the boys just walked into the shower room. "There's enough for all of us and they even have those walls that cover us up from the waist down, so we can have our privacy. Sweet!"

"It's better than those showers they have in prison." Bobby agreed. Tommy went wide eyed at that statement as he looked down at his short friend.

"Say-what-now?" He asked with a bit of nervousness. Bobby scoffed.

"Don't worry, man. I'm sure they've given yo' Mama a private shower."

"Phew! Good. Now, fellas, I wanna explain what happened with me and Ibuki this mornin'."

Five minutes later…

"…and that's pretty much what happened." Tommy finished. This made the boys stare at him with shock. Bobby had to say it, though.

"Why didn't you join her? Ya'll could've had a fuckin' good time!" He asked. Tommy shrugged his shoulders.

"I wasn't ready."

"Wasn't ready, my ass! And hey, hey, heeeeeey. Roooomeooo! I saw ya'll over there at that table at lunch. Ya'll were about to kiss, weren't you?"

"You just love stickin' your nose in our business, do you?"

"What do you expect? I'm your best friend!"

"I know, but don't take it too far, man."

"My bad."

An hour later…

Tommy and Bobby just arrived at their dorm room door and Bobby unlocked it, but before he could…

"Ah!" Tommy jumped as he felt his cell phone vibrate. He picked it up and saw the caller ID. It said that a number from Seattle was calling in. Tommy immediately had a hunch as to who it was before he answered it and walked inside the room with Bobby. "Sasha! I was waitin' for yo' cheatin' ass to call me! You promised to call me as soon as you got settled into college, which I know didn't take you three weeks after graduation."

"Stop playin', baby." Sasha reassured from the other line in her Southern accented female voice. "Besides, what do you mean? Me? Cheat? Naw!"

"Don't lie to me, bitch!"

"Hey, whoa! What's your problem? Japan's meaner than you thought?"

"No, they're actually quite nice… unlike you. Listen, baby. I gotta tell you somethin'-"

"Aww, naw. Don't make me fall for dis. I know what dis is about…"

"What?"

"You want me back in yo' arms, do you?"

"Fuck, no!"

"WHAT?"

"Listen, Sasha! What I'm tryin' to say is that I… I…" Tommy's heart started to burn again as he froze between his statement. Sasha smiled.

"You what?"

"…I love you."

"Thaaaaank ya. Now, I gotta get to class. I just wanna say hi befo' you hit the sack. Peace out, baby." After that, Sasha hung up. Tommy slowly pulled the phone away from his ear and sat down on his bed with shame. The same heartburn he suffered from before came back with a vengance as he was about to say that he hated Sasha. That meant that Fate was really taking over his decisions and Tommy couldn't take it anymore. Bobby sighed with annoyance as he just got into his bed in his pajamas.

"Are ya serious?" He asked with anger. "You punked out again?"

"I can't help it." Tommy admitted. "No matter how hard I try, I always end up with a burning heart."

"Did you take in Ibuki's words?"

"Every one, but… something ain't right about this. Something's missing. Hang on. I'll be back." Tommy stood up from the bed and walked out the door towards Ibuki and Kendra's door before he knocked on it three times. He waited for about five seconds before the door opened and revealed Ibuki in a beautiful nightgown. She smiled with no worries as she spoke.

"Couldn't tell Sasha the truth again?" She asked him.

"You read me like a book, baby girl." Tommy confessed. "I kept in everything you said at lunch, but it's still hard. I told you she was stubborn. Maybe my heart has been successfully brainwashed. Fate needs to leave me alone."

"Maybe this will help…" Ibuki didn't waste no time in grabbing each side of his face before she pulled him towards her for a passionate kiss on the mouth. Tommy went wide eyed as he felt her tongue slither inside his mouth and played with his tongue for a little while before she wrapped her arms around his neck and he closed his eyes as he took in the kiss, making his tongue join in to play. He held her up by her ass for support as they continued the kiss for the next five minutes. Their moaning got louder as pure instinct was driving them crazy, having Tommy slowly walk backwards towards the wall and slowly sat down, allowing Ibuki to wrap her smooth legs around his waist and deepened the kiss even more, clawing at his long silky black hair with desperation. Five more minutes went by and they froze in realization before they quickly pulled apart from each other. Ibuki blushed. "…whoa. What happened to us?"

"I don't know." Tommy replied in an awkward tone of his deep voice. "But, it felt good. You were smothering me, girl."

"Was I? Wow. I… guess Fate was right about us being together. By the way, about this morning, I was thinking about you. That's why I was… you know…"

"No wonder."

"Yeeah. Weird, huh?"

"…heh, heh. Yeah. Weird." They paused for a few seconds before they slowly continued the delicious kiss. This time, Ibuki's slender hands were feeling all over Tommy's muscles while his mighty hands moved from her ass to her breasts underneath her nightgown and she moaned in appreciation as she felt them get squeezed. This went on for the next ten minutes before they finally stopped and Ibuki straightened up her gown before she slowly stood up and walked back to her room. "Good night, Tommy."

"Good night… Sexy-buki." That nickname made Ibuki smile before she closed the door and headed for bed. Tommy chuckled as he slowly stood up and headed back to his room and closed his door behind him before he went to bed himself, but he didn't fall asleep right away. He kept his passionate smile in check while he deliciously licked his lips, tasting his newest true love's fruity lip gloss as a reminder of what just happened. His official break-up with Sasha was far from being proposed, but he was still going to try hard to get it out of his mouth and into his ex-girlfriend's ears. He looked over at Bobby to see that he was fast asleep. He was about to tell him about what just happened, but decided to save it for tomorrow.

Tommy's status as an only child in his small family didn't stop him from being brave. He gained that trait over a simple, but tasty kiss and he kept in there for many other events that may happen, including finally being able to hear his Mother's voice for the first time in over sixteen years. He was prepared…

…for _anything_.

To be continued…


	4. Expecting the Unexpected

Chapter 4: Expecting the Unexpected

The next morning, the sun rose in all of its shining glory and its beautiful rays woke up Tommy in its most peaceful manner. As he slowly opened his eyes, he made a smile that could send all ladies into swoon mode. He never let the memory of his kiss with Ibuki leave his mind and he just couldn't stop smiling because of how good it actually was. Knowing Ibuki as a ninja in a desperate search for a boyfriend, he never expected her to kiss him so professionally, as if she's had a boyfriend before. This left Tommy thinking deeply in his mind:

_Is Ibuki already taken? _

This left a feeling of doubt within his heart as he slowly sat up, stretched his strong arms, and yawned simultaneously. He looked at his digital clock and calendar. He saw that it was a Saturday. This got him cheering on the inside. His teammates offical first day in Sarusuberi was on a Friday, which left them to get enough time to think up of a good name for their team. Tommy looked over at Bobby, who was already up on his PC on the far left side of the room. He was in a chat room.

"Hey, Bobby." Tommy greeted. "Did you sleep well?"

"Duh!" Bobby replied, keeping his focus on his digital conversation with his sister, codenamed 'KittyRogue64'. "How did you sleep?"

"Like a baby." Tommy paused for a moment as he looked at the door to their dorm. He heard footsteps approaching and he reacted smoothly by standing up and walking towards the door. When he opened it, he saw that it was Broderick at the door. "Hey, Coach."

"Hey, boys." Broderick greeted. "Just came by to let ya'll know dat I'm callin' up a team meetin' at five."

"Why?" Bobby asked as he turned around in his computer chair shortly after properly exiting the chat room.

"The Dean is really gettin' impatient 'bout not comin' up wit a team name. Da soona we come up wit one, da betta."

"Obviously."

"Fo' now, ya'll can chill. I know ya'll have somethin' more important ta do."

"Huh, yeah. Homework…"

"All you have to do is some math and research. It ain't dat hard, boy. What 'bout you, Tommy?"

"I do have a job at my Mother's pet store. I have to be there by noon today." Tommy replied smoothly. This shocked Bobby.

"Say what? You got a job?" He screamed. Tommy didn't flinch in fright. He just hummed with humor as he bowed his head, not even facing his friend. "Since when did you have a job?"

"Since our freshman year in high school. I've been working every weekend since then. What I'm surprised about, though, is how you never knew all this. You know me far more than Broderick does."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah… I know. So, now that this is the case, what exactly do you do there?"

"I tend to the new animals in the back. You know, give them their shots, make sure they're spayed or neutered, check on any other hidden problem, et cetra."

"Ohhhhh, okay. Simple jobs. Are ya hiring?"

"No. Not now."

"Go figure."

"Will ya be off in time to make it to da meetin'?" Broderick asked with a little concern. Tommy nodded with confidence.

"You can count on it, Coach. I schedule my own time, so I'll be off at 4:30."

"Good. I expect a pretty long meeting by then. Now, Tommy, I'm guessin' you betta get ready fo' work."

"Yeah. I have a feeling it's gonna be busy."

Hours later, at 10:15 AM…

Bobby was on his computer again while Tommy just finished doing his daily small trim of his sideburns. His work clothes were a brown tank top with white jeans and black work boots. He took a good look at himself in the mirror for a few minutes after he placed down his razor on the marble sink. He did have his father's African American skin color, but he barely saw his mother's Korean smoothness on him. Just seeing the smooth texture on his skin made him cry for a little while in silence. His tears silently leaked into the sink and never moved to wipe them away. His tears symbolized how much he misses his beautiful Mother. At this point, he was starting to fear that he might forget what his Mother's face looked like. He never wanted to forget his family and the high risk of forgetting his Mother was not about to happen. His eyes were closed in deep prayer for a few seconds as his tears continued to fall into the sink like a pair of small waterfalls. When he finally looked up into the mirror, he slowly opened his eyes and silghtly smiled at the sight of Ibuki, dressed in a plain white short-sleeved t-shirt and blue skinny jeans with white sneakers, standing right behind him with her signature ponytail carved into her silky hair. She had a look of concern on her face as she slowly approached him from behind and gently placed her slender hands on his chest and slowly laid her head down on his back for total comfort.

"I just… miss my Mother so much." Tommy managed to say between tears. Ibuki kept her head on his back as she spoke.

"Don't let your emotions get to you, Tommy." She encouraged. "On the bright side, she is doing okay."

"How would you know?"

"Because I do know. I'm not just saying that."

"Like you didn't just say that Sasha was cheating on me?"

"It's the truth! The boy's name is Donovan Watts. He's about a year older than you and he's just as terrible in the personality rate as Sasha, but that seems to turn her on."

"Humph! I figured that was the case. Why didn't I see this coming?"

"She somehow had a feeling that you were going to leave her, but she's keeping herself occupied nonetheless." Ibuki paused as she turned Tommy around, so that he was facing her. She began to wipe the sad linebacker's tears as she continued. "Do yourself a huge favor and forget about her for about a week. If she happens to call you within that time, then you can try to confess your feelings again."

"I can try. I know Sasha can take a break-up."

"That's why you try, Tommy." Bobby just walked in shortly after Ibuki said this and he was shocked to see her.

"What the…?" Bobby exclaimed with surprise. "Ibuki? How did you get in?"

"Does that matter? I was worried about Tommy. I heard he had to work today, so I really came in here to tell him to have a good day, but I ended up soothing his emotion monster instead."

"Is that what you were doing in here?"

"I was just thinking about my Mother and how much I miss her." Tommy confessed.

"I'm about ta say…"

"What?"

"…nothin'."

"Oh, good."

"Why'd you ask?"

"…" Tommy remained silent for a moment as he looked down at Ibuki, who nodded with a look of permission. He nodded in return before he finished off by saying: "Ibuki and I kissed last night."

"…What?"

"Yeah. Somethin' came up and… well… you know the rest."

"…How was the kiss?"

"Delicious." Ibuki replied with confidence. "He didn't see it coming. I only did it to give him a little bit of confidence."

"Whoa…"

"Hopefully, it'll mean more than just a playful kiss in the future."

"Probably." Tommy agreed with red cheeks. "By the way, where did you learn to kiss like that? That kiss had me all curious."

"Oh, let's just say that…" Ibuki paused as she got closer to Tommy's face… a little too close. "…Fate came to me and decided that I should keep you occupied until Sasha finally comes to her senses." She paused again as she slowly moved away from Tommy's face, leaving him wide eyed with nervousness. "How I learned the kiss is completely confidential. Just be happy that you just got kissed by the cutest girl on this campus."

"Great." Bobby muttered with sarcasm. "Lucky you…"

"Don't get jealous, Bobby." Tommy reassured. "I'm pretty sure Kendra makes a perfect match for you. You sat beside her at lunch yestesterday."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything! Man, I'm gonna go and finish my research on these Komodo Dragons. You go on ahead to work, man." After that, Bobby continued to mumble and complain as he left the bathroom. Ibuki watched him with a little concern while Tommy shook his head with humor.

"He's always been jealous of me for most things… ever since we first met when we were two."

"Wow." Ibuki commented. "You two have been friends for that long, huh?"

"Yeah. We're practically brothers. He's had my back ever since then, too. Whenever I got into trouble, he was always right there to help me. Personally, I always wished we were biological brothers."

"Awww, that's cute. Now, um…" Ibuki turned her attention towards Tommy as he was placing on his watch. "…Bobby did just say that you had to… go to work… right?"

"Yeah. I work at my Mom's pet shop not too far from here every weekend. Beats just sittin' here and studyin' fo' a lil' while, ya know."

"Who else works there besides you?"

"My Dad."

"…that's it?"

"That's it."

"…Mm! That's not good."

"Naw, naw, Ibuki! It's actually a good thing. It's a family store and me and my Dad is all I need to keep my Mom's dream of housing the rarest animals alive. She may be in jail, but we're makin' good money just tryin' to, at least, keep our water bill from bein' overdue."

"Oh. Right back at me on that one. So, are you hiring?"

"You too, huh? Bobby asked me the same question and I told him that I wasn't hiring right now."

"Hmmm…"

"But, since you're kinda cute, gave me some advice, gave me the most delicious kiss I have ever experienced in my life, and care so much about me, my life, and my internal struggle… I'll hire you." Ibuki was speechless after hearing this. She never knew that Tommy realized that she really cares about him. She just stood there, staring at the gentle giant with extreme surprise. Tommy chuckled as he approached her and slowly leaned down to give her a warm hug of appreciation. "I have a feeling that things are looking brighter for me, Sexy-buki… and you have been helping me out ever since we first ran into each other. It would really be an honor for you to work alongside my family."

Ibuki still didn't say a word as she slowly lifted her arms up and managed to hug him in return. As soon as she leaned her head on his strong chest, she smiled with a peaceful sigh and that made Tommy's smile grow, but he kept in his tears of happiness as they were in this adorable embrace for the next five minutes. Near the last minute, Tommy decided to get a little playful and snuck a hand down to Ibuki's ass and took a firm hold on it, making her moan with satisfaction. Tommy looked down at her and just admired her for a few seconds. He was just both thrilled and relieved that he finally found another girl that actually cared about his fragile heart and he was even more excited that it was Ibuki herself that cared. After all this, he finally decided to put Sasha on hold for a second and keep his mind on his beloved Mother. It was his trial-and-error test towards how he can control his emotions.

An hour and fifteen minutes later…

Ibuki and Tommy just got off the city bus and were right in front of the pet shop. Ibuki smiled at the store's title.

"'Animals of Happiness'?" She asked with a smile. Tommy nodded as he led her inside. "That's cute."

"Yeah, thanks." Tommy replied. "My Mom came up with the idea and the title. We keep more than just domestic animals here."

When the two got inside, Tommy's father, Johnnie, was already there behind the front desk, ready to work and he was astonished to see his only son walk in with a girl next to him.

"Well, well, well. Hey, son." Johnnie greeted. "Who is dis lovely lady? She looks familiar."

"Hey, Dad." Tommy greeted. "This is Ibuki. I want her to work with us, if that's okay."

"Say what? Ibuki? HEY! Good to see ya!" Johnnie sprung to his feet and gave the young kunoichi a loving embrace. She returned the hug with appreciation. "Welcome to Animals of Happiness! You'll love it here, sweetie."

"So I've heard." Ibuki agreed.

"Good. Now, Tommy…"

"Yes?" Tommy replied.

"You rememba dat tiga yo' Mama tried to catch befo' she got arrested?"

"Yeah. What happened to him?"

"He survived dat attack and he's restin' in the back. Dey managed ta transport him here afta dey gave him a prosthetic paw."

"YES! They gave him another chance!"

"Yep. Well, Ibuki, ya ready?"

"Born that way." Ibuki replied with confidence.

"Good. You and Tommy can start by… well, first… by clockin' in. Then, ya'll can start on tendin' to dat tiga. He is wide awake and waitin' fo' ya'll. Behave now, here?"

Ten minutes later…

Tommy just made Ibuki a time card and handed it to her. She took a good look at it and smiled.

"This is awesome!" Ibuki exclaimed as she stood up from her chair shortly after taking the card. "So, do you do behind the scenes work here?"

"Most of the time, yeah." Tommy replied. "Sometimes, I help out some customers with introductions to these animals."

"Oh, okay. So, what will I do?"

"Hmmmm… don't know yet. Let's clock in first and then, I can ask my Dad."

Twenty seconds later…

"She can be da supervisior to da animals." Johnnie replied. "What dat means is that you and Tommy can keep an eye on 'em, except Tommy does the medical procedures, includin' shots, spayin', and neuterin'. Sound good?"

"Yeah." Ibuki replied. "That sounds like an easy job."

"Great. I should warn ya, though, some animals back there only need Tommy's supavision. You'll know which ones when ya get back dere."

Another twenty seconds later…

Tommy just opened the door to the chamber of the humanely kept animals and Ibuki was just astonished about the huge number of them and the many different varieties.

"Don't be so surprised about all these animals now." Tommy warned as he placed on his protective apron and gloves. "My mom has done most of the catches here, but as soon as she was arrested, my Dad did the honors. So far, he's doin' a great job."

"Cool." Ibuki commented. "What about you?"

"I would love to help out my Dad, but you know, I've got college to deal with along with trying to get my Mother out of jail."

"Hmmm… How was she accused again?"

"Some dumb-ass bastard placed a steel trap right in between the tiger and my mom and the tiger got caught in the trap." Tommy paused as he approached Ibuki and gave her an apron and gloves. "She tried to get him out, but ended up getting accused of animal cruelty. They thought she had set the trap."

"How could they not notice?"

"Who knows? All I know is that my mom doesn't deserve to be in jail."

"That sucks." Ibuki reluctantly placed on her apron and gloves before she followed Tommy into a steel door in the very back of the room. Tommy turned the combination lock a few times before it clicked open and he slowly opened the heavy door to reveal a beautiful Siberian Tiger that was pure white with pink stripes and purple eyes. Ibuki smiled at its beauty, but immediately frowned with concern when she noticed a prosthetic paw attached to its right front leg. "Oh, my God! Your Dad was right about the paw. I'm glad he doesn't seem too phased by it."

"It feels like his real paw to him, which is a blessing in my book." Tommy agreed as he kneeled down before the tiger and offered a fresh fish to him. Ibuki kneeled down next to Tommy and carefully reached out to pet him between the ears. The tiger didn't even flinch as her soft hand touched him and gently massaged his scalp. Tommy looked over at her from a side-glance and smiled. Just seeing Ibuki pat the tiger quickly reminded him of how gentle his Mother is towards animals. Within his heart, however, he never expected a ninja to be gentle to a tiger. So far, spending this much time with Ibuki was really starting to erase his memory about Sasha completely. That kiss they had… it wasn't just for an increase in confidence anymore. He actually had… deep passionate feelings for Ibuki, but he decided to keep that to himself for the time being.

The tiger finally purred with appreciation after about three minutes of being massaged by Ibuki and this made her smile even more. Tommy chuckled at how adorable this scene was.

"Awww, look at that, baby." He started. "Velvet likes you already."

"Velvet?" Ibuki asked with astonishment. "That's his name?"

"Yeah. My mom came up with that."

"Your mom did a lot of this, huh?"

"Yeah. She's an angel towards animals. That's why she doesn't deserve to be in jail for animal cruelty. Her traps have always been as humane as she could possibly get."

"Maybe they were just jealous."

"Probably, but I doubt it. She never knew those people too well."

"Figures."

"YO, TOMMY!" Johnnie called out from the distance. That immediately got Ibuki and Tommy's attention. "YOU BETTER GET OUT HERE! WE GOT MANUAL LABOR GOIN' ON OUT HERE!"

"YES!" Tommy cheered as he stood up. Ibuki followed suit with a smile, even though she was a little confused. "Finally! I knew that Snow Coyote was pregnant!"

"…what?" Ibuki asked as she was being dragged out by Tommy. He ran to the coyote's chamber in a hurry and saw that the wild canine was indeed giving birth to new puppies. Ibuki has never seen anything like this before and she was excited on the inside while she maintained herself on the outside. Tommy kneeled down in front of the birth chamber and slowly placed a hand on the glass. Johnnie smiled as he looked down at his son and his possibly new girlfriend. He was so happy to see his son at peace, especially since his mother was imprisoned.

Ten minutes later…

Tommy, Ibuki, and Johnnie, who stood behind the couple, all kept in their smiles as the Snow Coyote named Ferrah rested well with her eight newborn puppies nursing her milk. It was too quiet in the room and even some of the other surrounding animals in their respective chambers watched with curiosity. Three silent minutes later, the sound of a customer entering the building sounded and Johnnie reacted to it quickly as he made his way out to the front counter, but before he went out the door, he took one last good look at Tommy and Ibuki. He looked at the floor between the two and saw that they were holding hands. He was about to say something about it, but decided to leave that alone and tend to the customer.

Back at Ferrah, Ibuki, and Tommy…

Ferrah finally opened her eyes after a good nap and smiled when she saw Tommy and Ibuki through the glass. Tommy placed his free hand on the glass and chuckled.

"Hey, Ferrah." He greeted sweetly. "Did you sleep well?" Ferrah replied with a bark, which Tommy translated to English immediately. "Good. Ready to name them?" Ferrah barked again. "Not yet, huh? Okay. We'll give 'em a month."

"Awww, they're so cute." Ibuki commented. "She was a trooper."

"Yeah, she held in there. Most new mothers do. So, how was it?"

"What?" Ibuki looked at Tommy's cute face.

"Your first time seeing an animal give birth."

"It was great. Speaking of which, do Komodo Dragons give birth in this manner?"

"Had to bring up homework at work, didn't you?"

"Heh, heh… yeah."

"Well, to answer your question, no. Since Komodo Dragons are classified as reptiles, they actually lay eggs."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Believe it. Crocs and alligators lay eggs, too."

"Wow. Now, I'm really getting facinated."

"By the facts or by my voice?"

Ibuki softly giggled as she showed a seductive look on her face before she moved a little closer to him, propping herself up by his legs to meet up with him eye to eye before she whispered:

"You… could say… both…" The two were _this _close to locking lips and begin another sexy game of tongue wrestling until…

"TOMMY!" Johnnie's voice called out again. This made Tommy and Ibuki freeze right at a millimeter apart from each other's mouths. "YOUR COACH IS HERE!"

"What?" Tommy asked with shock as he quickly got to his feet and dashed out to the front counter. Ibuki just sat there on her knees with a small smile. She felt happy to be so close to Tommy, even though it's only been two days since they met. Deep down, however, she felt as though she could possibly be the solver to every single enigmatic puzzle within Tommy's soul. She could physically help Tommy free his mother somehow, but she decided to let Tommy keep trying his attempts to break up with Sasha on his own. If she truly loved him, she would allow it.

Meanwhile, at the front counter of the pet store…

"Are you sure?" Tommy asked with shock. Johnnie was just as shocked, but kept quiet. Broderick nodded slowly. "Oh, my God! Since when?"

"Just three days ago." Broderick replied. "He left ya somethin' in the parkin' lot in the back of Sarusuberi. If I were you, I'd check it out pronto."

"Okay… but, can Ibuki come with me?"

"Sure. She's been by yo' side fo' two days now. I don't see any reason why she can't come with ya."

"Thanks for telling me… well… for telling _us._ I'll get there as soon as I can!"

"Alright. There is still plenty of time befo' our lil' meetin', so grieve as long as ya like until den, hear?"

"Yes, sir."

Ibuki just walked through the double doors behind Tommy and Johnnie and she showed a look of concern on her adorable face.

"Tommy, what's wrong?" She asked. Tommy started to tear up, but didn't make a sound as he grabbed her wrist and led her out to the bus stop from before.

Ten minutes later, in the parking lot…

Tommy and Ibuki just came from around the corner and saw a very expensive concept car called the EfficientDynamics sitting in a reserved parking space for a member of any field of sports. Tommy then noticed a note on the windshield of the vehicle, carefully took it, and read it outloud to Ibuki. It said the following:

"Dear Tommy Jaymes Jones,

I hate to inform you of this unexpected turn of events, but just three days ago, your grandfather of your mother's side of the family, Darikosho Krylii Jones, passed away due to his stroke he's been fighting for two months. According to his will and testament, you now own two of his prized possessions, plus one hundred thousand dollars in cash. The money is safely stored in the trunk of this car you see before you, which is one of his prized posessions. The other item in his will is actually kept away safely in an animal chamber of your Chemistry teacher's closet. I am sorry, but that is all I have time to write to you. I hope this doesn't effect your day.

Good luck maintaining your emotions and may Darikosho rest in peace.

Sincerely,

Sydney Hadgens

Personal doctor to Darikosho"

Ibuki heard every word of this letter and slowly started to cry along with Tommy, who held her within his strong arms while he gently nuzzled his face between her breasts for comfort. She slowly wrapped her slender arms around his neck and shoulders and leaned her head on top of his head. She couldn't believe it. Right when she was about to help Tommy make things right, it has just gotten worse for the both of them, but that didn't stop the kunoichi from fulfilling her promise to cheer him up anyway she could.

Three hours and twenty minutes later…

"I'm so sorry, Tommy." Ibuki apologized in her softest voice as she just sat down next to the crying linebacker, who was already seated next to the locker room door with his drenched face buried into his knees. "Death comes unexpectedly sometimes and there's just nothing we can do about it. I know how heartbroken you must feel at this point."

"I feel like shit, Ibuki!" Tommy agreed. "I already got Sasha constantly brainwashing me behind my back along with cheating on me and my Mother in prison. Now… this…"

"Damn. Somehow, I understand what you're going through."

"You… do?"

Ibuki sighed in response as she got comfortable before she looked at the ceiling while she spoke.

"My master, Enjo, told me that I was abandoned as a baby in a forest when he was part of the Geki Clan. They wanted to train me to become an assassin, but Enjo wasn't gonna let that happen. He decided to take me in by himself and form the Glade of Ninjas. I never knew who my real parents were and, judging by everything I've been through long before my secondary ninja training was completed, it seems like my real parents never wanted to raise me in the first place. It's no wonder I've been desperately trying to be a normal girl."

"So… what does that have to do with my struggle?"

"Tommy…" Ibuki paused as she turned her face towards him with a look of sadness. "…it relates to your situation perfectly. I'm an only child, too. I have no brothers or sisters… at least… not biologically. I'll be an orphan for life, no matter what… even with a little ninja training on the side."

"Well, damn. Judgin' by your story, you've been through more Hell than me. I shouldn't feel so bad. I guess we both do have similar problems."

"Exactly. Now you feel me… but just hearing that your grandfather died really strikes an even bigger pit in your heart, doesn't it? Especially about the fact that he was from your Mom's side of the family."

"Yeah, it does… but Ibuki, isn't being raised by someone… better than not being raised by anyone at all? Think about it. If the Geki hadn't found you, you wouldn't be here next to me right now." Ibuki took in that last statement with every sense on her body, including her sense of taste. It left a bitter taste in her mouth as she thought about it and started to cry, letting her warm tears stain Tommy's arm. "Consider yourself lucky, baby. All that ninja trainin' doesn't even matter in this case. Just the fact that you were actually raised by a clan or the Glade is enough to make you feel special about being an only child with a heart of emptiness, like mine."

"You're right." Right after that was said, Broderick and the rest of the football team just arrived to see the two of them sitting there, waiting patiently for the meeting to start. "Hey, boys. Hope you don't mind me joining you."

"Naw, not at all, Ibuki!" Broderick replied with a smile. "Sure, you can join us. Tommy, ya feelin' alright since you found out your granddaddy died?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Tommy replied. "Let's just get this meeting started."

Moments later, inside the locker room…

"Alrighty, boys… and Ibuki…" Broderick started. "We need to decide on a team name, so we can start our first game in a flash. It has to be catchy and flow very well with Sarusuberi."

"Hmmmm…" Bobby hummed in thought. "How about… the Sarusuberi Dragons? That has a nice ring to it."

"Mmm… yeah, it kinda does." Broderick wrote that choice down on the dry erase board behind him. "Any more ideas?"

"I've got one!" Brutus came in excitedly. "How about… uh… the Sarusuberi Tigers?"

"Another good choice. I like it!" Broderick wrote that down. "Any more? Ibuki?"

"Hmm?" Ibuki came in with a little surprise. "Yes?"

"Do you have any ideas?"

"Hey, I just came in here to enjoy the meeting. Not contribute to it."

"Why not? We sure could use a good choice from a current student in this campus."

"Well…"

"Let me ask you this, then. How's Don?"

"He's doing great, thanks! I thought he would be lonely without me by his side, but he's being a trooper."

"Great. Any chance he could… ya know… stick wit ya here on campus?"

"Oh, I don't know. The Glade is pretty far from here. Why?"

"Well, uh-"

"Oh, I get it! You want me to call this team the Sarusuberi Tanukis."

"…yeah… exactly!"

"Say what?" Brutus mumbled. Tommy smiled at the idea.

"I think that's an excellent idea, fellas." He came in. "Beats dragons and tigers when it comes to the flow of the name."

"It… kinda does, doesn't it?" Broderick agreed. "And besides, Don could be our official mascot. Give da lil' fella some attention, eh?"

"Wow." Ibuki gasped in realization. "I never thought of that. I'll call Sarai sometime tomorrow and see what she thinks. She's currently watching him while she's training."

"Great. In da meantime, I'll talk to the Dean about it before I hit the sack tonight. Great meetin', everyone! Ya'll can get some shut-eye now."

Two hours later, in Tommy and Bobby's dorm room…

The two boys were continuing the research together, even though Tommy was in the books while Bobby was on his computer. Bobby was making amazing progress, but Tommy was taking every fifteen minutes to turn a page in his book and this made his childhood friend a little worried.

"Tommy, are you feelin' okay, man?" He turned towards his gentle giant friend and saw that he was smiling while he was just staring aimlessly into the book. "Uh… Tommy? You're scarin' your brother from another mother."

"Sorry, Bobby." Tommy replied with red cheeks on his face. "I was just remembering what happened at work earlier today. I hired Ibuki and-"

"WHAT? You hired Ibuki, but didn't hire me? What da hell, man?"

"It's not like I was rejectin' ya or nothin', man. It's just that… well… Ibuki and I are bondin'… like DNA."

"Humph! Some excuse. You just told me you won't hirin'!"

"I know, but that cute face she got just commanded me to hire her, despite not havin' any openings. Have you even noticed that she's been pretty supportive of me since I ran into her that day?"

"Well, now that you mention it, yeah. What's up with that, man? Wait! Let me guess… that _kiss _you told me about."

"Heh, heh… yeah. _That…_ and about what happened at work today…"

"Yeah?"

"…We almost did that again."

"Say whaaaaaaat? Man, you a player!"

"Heh, heh… not really. We're just… connecting… somehow. She's an only child, too. Did you know that?"

"I do now. I figured that, though. She just seemed like an orphan raised into an anonymous family, like the Glade of Ninjas."

"So, you know we pretty much share the same pain when it comes to having no moral support from blood relatives… except I actually do have that support."

"That's a sign, then. Sasha is out of your life, man."

"Officially. I just wish I had the fuckin' guts to tell her!"

"You will… one day. Just hang in there, a'ight?"

"Thanks, Bobby."

"You-gonna-get-some?"

"What?"

"What?"

"…" Tommy almost caught what Bobby muttered at an unusually fast speed, but as soon as he could take a guess, there were three knocks at the door. Tommy got up from his bed and approached the door before he opened it to see: "Kendra? What are you doin' here?"

"Ibuki needs your help." Kendra said with little emotion in her voice. Tommy smiled, hearing that Ibuki actually needs help with something, which is rare. Kendra was about to explain what the situation was, but Tommy shushed her before he walked out of the door and went next door to see Ibuki still in her outfit. He expected her to be in her pajamas by now and he was curious.

"What's up, baby?" He asked her. Ibuki looked over at the linebacker and her smile widened as she approached him, gently placing her soft hands on his clothed abs when she was close enough. This made Tommy react to the touch by slowly sending his big, strong hands to her hips and just held them gently. "Somethin' on your mind?"

"Since your team wants Don to be the mascot, I'll be more than happy to let him stay here with me and Kendra." Ibuki replied, not taking her chocolate brown eyes off of Tommy's neon green ones, which were glossy with passion. "The only problem is… it'll take me all night to get to the Glade on foot, if you know what I mean."

"I think I get it."

Ten minutes later, in the EfficientDynamics concept car ride…

Tommy was on the way to the Glade's location to allow Ibuki to pick up Don. The only peaceful thing about this ride was that it was silent. The radio was off and the couple wasn't having a conversation. They just enjoyed the quiet ride. The whole trip lasted for three more minutes before Tommy parked his car across the street from the exact location of the hidden village Ibuki knew so well. Tommy placed the car in park and turned off the motor, but the two still didn't say a word. Ibuki just glaced over at him with a cute and sexy smile before she eventually unbuckled herself from her seat and got out of the expensive vehicle. She went around the front of the car and knocked on Tommy's window, telling him to lower it. Tommy turned the car on slightly before he obeyed her and before he knew it, Ibuki leaned into the window for another delicious kiss. They both moaned with lust as they felt their tongues dancing around against each other, tasting every flavor on each other. After about three minutes into the kiss, Tommy's tongue caught a taste of something familiar on Ibuki's soft lips: Cherry Flavored Soda. He moaned a little louder as he engulfed her even deeper and she moaned with surprise. At this point, Sasha was indeed long forgotten in Tommy's mind and heart.

Three more slow minutes later, they both slowly ended their kiss with saliva linking their lips together. Ibuki volunteered to slurp it up seductively, licking her lips afterwards. Tommy did the same, tasting her lip gloss for a little while before she finally turned to make her way across the street towards the Glade to pick up Don. Ibuki purposely took her time getting across, however, because she felt that Tommy was secretly staring at her ass… and he was! Tommy stared at it for as long as he could until she finally disappeared into the bamboo forest. He sighed with happiness as he leaned back in his seat and waited patiently for Ibuki to return with her pet tanuki. After two silent minutes, his cell phone rang in his pocket and he reached in to answer it.

"Hello?" He started.

"Hi, honey." Replied a familiar deep female voice he hasn't heard in over sixteen years. He immediately guessed who it was as he started forming happy tears with his bright green eyes. "I was finally able to reach you."

"Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie. It's me. They finally allowed me to call you since I've been transported here. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Mom. I missed you."

"I missed you, too. I hear your in college now."

"Yeah. Saursuberi University."

"Ooooh, that's good. Did you hear about your grandfather's death?"

"Yeah. I was really upset when I heard. I was cryin' like a baby, but Ibuki supported me."

"Ibuki? I forgot she was in that college. How is she doing?"

"She's doing good. We've developed a… spiritual as well as passionate bond ever since I accidently ran into her a few days ago."

"Aww, that's wonderful! Did you two… kiss?"

"Twice, yeah. Once after I just met her and once today… she nearly kissed me at work and we did another kiss right before you called."

"Oooooh. That's so romantic. You're a man now, Tommy. You can face anything head on now. Speaking of which, whatever happened to Sasha?"

"She's my ex."

"YES!"

"But, the only problem is… I have the hardest time telling her that. She's so hard-headed, Ma."

"I know, honey. I knew she was a pretty bad egg to begin with. Your generosity cost you your fragile heart."

"I know and I feel like a fuckin' idiot for that."

"Don't go so hard on yourself. And it seems like your 'conversations' with Fate didn't go to waste. Are you still having those?"

"No. They're all gone. I must be doin' somethin' right."

"That could be and I'm so proud of you for it. So, with that being the case, did you… touch Ibuki yet?"

"If you mean what I think you mean, then no. I did give her a few small touches, though."

"Ohhh, okay. Don't rush into it then. Give her some time."

"Ya know what? I think that's what Bobby asked me earlier."

"What?"

"Am I gonna get some?"

"HA! Of course, Bobby asked you that! I'm glad you two are still friends after all these years. He's practically a brother to you, isn't he?"

"Yeah… but back to 'gettin' some' with Ibuki…"

"Do you feel ready?"

"Not… really. Even though we kissed twice already since we met, I still don't feel ready to go to the next level."

"Take your time, sweetie. In the meantime, please try to set things out with Sasha. You have to gather your courage to make it through the toughest obsticles in your life. Only then will you finally be ready to transfer your love to another." Tommy smiled at his mother's philosophy statement of the evening. He just loved it when she gave him advice like this and it really does give him the motivation he needed to get through this hard struggle. "Do you understand me?"

"Yes, ma'am. I understand it completely."

"Good. I expect some good news out of you next time I call you. Okay?"

"A'ight. Oh… and Mom?"

"Yes?"

"…I love you."

"I love you, too, my gentle giant." After that, Tommy slowly hung up the phone with his happy tears continuing to issue out of his green eyes. Ibuki just got in the car seconds later with Don in her arms and she smiled at Tommy as she allowed her tanuki to get in the back seat while she buckled up her seat belt.

"Was that your Mom?" She asked. Tommy nodded, wiping his tears away. "I know you must be so relieved to hear that she's doing well."

"So relieved." Tommy agreed. "It seemed like she's been trying to contact me for years since she was transferred to that prison."

"Maybe a few tweaks had to be made for her arrival, knowing that she's the only female in that prison."

"Yeah. I guess. I… told her about our kisses."

"Really? What did she say?" Tommy started up the car immediately after that was asked and he made a quick u-turn before he headed back to Sarusuberi, explaining the whole telephone conversation with his beloved Mother to Ibuki.

Fifteen minutes later…

Ibuki just approached her dorm room door with Don close behind by her feet while Tommy headed for his room for the night, but before he could even step in the door…

"Did you stare at my butt?" Ibuki asked out of random. Tommy's eyes went wide with extreme shock as he turned towards her. "I know you did."

"Uhhhhh…" Tommy blushed as he turned his face away quickly. Ibuki giggled as she approached him with a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"You're cute when you get all timid like that. It's okay, if you were. I was just wondering."

"…yeah, then. I was staring at your ass when you walked into that forest. Not to sound offensive or anything, but your ass was looking just… mm!"

"I see. Ya know, since we like each other this much, maybe we should exchange roommates."

"Can we? I thought we could only stick with one roommate for the rest of our time here."

"That's for new students, like you and Bobby. For students that are already enrolled, like me and Kendra, we can exchange roommates once and only once. So, I can actually let Kendra stay with Bobby while you stay with me." This was an offer Tommy could not refuse. They weren't officially a couple just yet, but having him stay with Ibuki as her roommate was the perfect opportunity to turn into that future relationship later… and maybe… _get some_ later on as well.

"What if Sasha calls me? Will you interfere?" Tommy asked in wonder. Ibuki shook her head.

"I wanna help you get through this bitch, but I want you to do it yourself. I know you can, baby." Ibuki replied. Tommy nodded in understanding. "You just have to try."

"I will. So, can we exchange roommates now?"

"Not tonight, but we can talk to the Dean tomorrow after our classes and see what he says."

"Okay. Good night, Sexy-buki."

"Oh, my God! I just love that nickname!"

"Creative, ain't it?"

"Yeah. It suits me. Anyway, good night, Tommy."

"Good night, Don." Tommy kneeled down towards the tanuki to give him a small hug before he gave him a small noogie and allowed him to follow Ibuki into her room. As soon as her door was closed, Tommy went to his dorm and got comfortable in nothing but his boxers before he got into bed and laid down, settling his cell phone next to him on his nightstand, before he fell asleep.

Once again, he fell asleep with a smile and never forgot about his ordeal with Ibuki. As he slowly closed his eyes, he started leaking tears of pure joy, remembering his telephone conversation with his Mother for the first time in over sixteen years. Despite losing his grandfather, he still keeps his spirit alive and hopes for the very best.

To be continued…


	5. A First of Everything

Chapter 5: A First of Everything

On this beautiful Sunday morning, the sun was slowly rising over the horizon with its luminescent beauty. When it peeked through the boys' window, Tommy's bright green eyes slowly opened with another peaceful smile. He looked over at Bobby from where he laid and he was still sleeping. He chuckled a little before he slowly tried to get up, but somehow, he couldn't. Something was weighing him down. He pulled back the covers and was shocked to see a pure white Komodo dragon with baby blue eyes looking right at him with an adorable smile. He was about to scream with fear, but spotted a metal anklet around its front left leg. He reached over to his nightstand to pull out a magnifying glass and scanned it carefully. It read:

"Name: Snow

Species: Albino Komodo dragon

Owner: Darikosho Krylii Jones

Side Note: Given to Tommy Jaymes Jones under Darikosho's will; Please take good care of him."

"Bobby!" Tommy called out with happiness. This woke up the short receiver as he sat up fast. When he saw the Komodo dragon sitting on top of Tommy's chest, he nearly fell out of his bed.

"What the fuck?" He asked with surprise. "Is that a… Komodo Dragon?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied with a smile as he sat up, allowing Snow to safely crawl off of him. "His name is Snow. He was given to me under my grandfather's will. Ain't he beautiful?"

"Like Ibuki?"

"Yeah. Speaking of which, Ibuki and I have been talkin' last night and-"

"YA GOT SOME!"

"…no, not yet, man. Anyway, we've been talkin' and we figured that, since we like each other so much, we should exchange roommates. You and Kendra can live together."

"…Huh! That does sound like a good idea. By the way, what did Ibuki need help with?"

"She wanted to get Don early instead of calling Sarai. Bobby… I gotta confess somethin'."

"Aw, naw. I know what this is."

"Yeah. I… I think I'm in love with Ibuki. Sasha's left my mind, but still don't have the courage to tell her this."

"You better. I'm countin' on ya, man. You can do it. In the meantime, can we start the roommate exchange now?"

"You want Kendra that bad, huh?"

"Now that I've been thinkin', yeah. She is kinda pretty."

"Uh, huh. I'm gonna go get Ibuki, a'ight? I'll be back." Tommy stood up and went to the door, but before he could open it…

"Uh, Tommy?" Bobby called out.

"Hmm?" Tommy replied back, turning towards his friend.

"You do know you're not wearing nothin' but your boxers, right?"

"I know." Tommy opened the door and walked out with a sly smile on his face. Bobby shook his head with humor before he got out of bed and slipped on his robe before he followed his best friend. Snow followed the two shortly after, just out of curiosity.

When Tommy approached Ibuki's door, he knocked on it three times before he stood there in patient wait. When he felt Bobby and Snow approach him from behind, he chuckled.

"Why are ya'll followin' me?" He asked the two. Bobby scoffed with humor.

"Why do you think?" He asked in return. "I wanna see Ibuki's face when she sees you like this fo' da first time. Why Snow is with us… I'm… not so sure."

"He's probably just curious. All animals are."

"Of course. Well… here we go." Immediately after that was said, the door slightly opened and the boys were surprised to see:

"Kendra?" Bobby and Tommy exclaimed.

"Where's Ibuki?" Tommy asked with a little worry.

"Today's Sunday." Kendra replied. "She has ninja training today."

"That's what she meant by 'classes' last night."

"You guessed it. You can go see her, if you want. You can watch her through the window adjacent to the training area."

"…You're encouraging me to 'get some', too… aren't you?"

"In some way, yes. Judging by this… really sexy body you have here, you have better get some."

"I'm… not quite ready yet."

"Sure, you aren't."

"Don't test me, Kendra."

"Too late."

"…bitch."

Five minutes later…

Tommy, with Snow by his feet, headed for the Ninjitsu Research Club training area enclosed in the very back of the campus. The gentle giant had on a decent outfit this time, which was basically a white t-shirt with baggy blue jeans and expensive sneakers. He spotted the window Kendra mentioned and approached it with caution. He looked all over the area for Ibuki for a few minutes, but before he could succeed, his cell phone rang again. He checked to see who it was and it was Sasha. Tommy rolled his eyes as he turned his back towards the window and sat down, so he wouldn't be seen. Snow sat like good lizard next to him and remained quiet.

"What do you want, Sasha?" Tommy asked in a cold tone. "I thought you'd be sleepin'."

"I was." Sasha replied. "But, I just couldn't sleep without sayin' hi to ya."

"Humph! You managed to do that last night. You never called me then. What gives with that? Huh?"

"Oh, heh, heh… ya know… some… things have come up."

"Fuckin' with Donovan Watts?"

"…WHA… how did you…"

"Ibuki told me everything. What the hell are you doin' with that bastard?"

"Ibuki? What are you doing with-"

"ANSWER ME, BITCH! I'M ASKIN' THE FUCKIN' QUESTIONS AROUND HERE!"

"…Tommy!"

"I'm waitin'."

"…We just so happened to meet up in lunch one day and the rest is history."

"Hmm! I figured that was the case. Now, to answer your question about Ibuki, she felt my struggle of tryin' to break up with you for the longest time. I tried to ignore you for at least a week, but I can see that's harder to accomplish than an SAT."

"…Did you say… break up… with me?"

"Yes. You've been controlling me, torturing me, and manipulating me into things and feelings that I don't even want and I'm tired of it. Ibuki is the total opposite of what you are and she's my girl now. If you don't like it, you can kiss my ass for all I care!"

"FINE, THEN! I never liked you in the first place! Just wait until I finally get my chance to make it to Japan. I'll show you how I really feel about this shit!"

"Oooooh, I'm scared." Tommy hung up his phone after that and sighed with extreme relief as he leaned his head back with a smile. Snow tilted his head with curiosity as he squealed in the same manner. "Yes! Damn, that felt good. I finally did it, Snow. I knew I could do it." Snow roared in agreement before he got up on his hind legs and just plopped himself on top of his new owner for a congratulatory hug. Tommy returned the hug with a million dollar smile and they were in this position for the next two minutes before Kendra and Bobby arrived.

"YES!" Bobby cheered as he kneeled down towards his longtime friend. "You finally kicked that bitch Sasha out of your life! How did it feel, man?"

"Orgasmic to my soul." Tommy replied with a sigh as he released Snow from the hug. "I can't wait to tell Ibuki about this."

"Congratulations, Tommy." Kendra applauded as she sat down with the boys. "Can you tell me this, though? What made you gain the strength to finally tell Sasha the truth?"

"The soothing sound of my Mother's voice. I felt her speaking to me, even after I had that phone call with her last night. So many things have been happenin' since I ran into Ibuki. I gain some bond with her, I gathered the guts to tell Sasha, I finally spoke to my Mother after fifteen years, and my grandfather passed away. That last factor doesn't really affect anything physically, but spiritually, I miss him already. But, Kendra, in addition to all of this, I'm actually in love with Ibuki."

"Yeah, boy!" Bobby cheered.

"Did you tell her this yet?" Kendra asked. Tommy shook his head. "Are you ready to tell her?"

"Not yet. I just wanna spend more time with her for now." Tommy replied.

"That's an excellent idea. I'm sure Ibuki would really appreciate it. She has been doing her little boy hunt for a while before you all got here."

"I can imagine."

"But, every night after a date leaves her, she cries herself to sleep. I tried to ask her why she cries, but she would never answer me."

"She's got that feeling, the heavy burden of being an orphan raised by someone other than her parents, who abandoned her as a baby."

"Awww, no. Poor girl. Why would someone do something like this?"

"I don't know, but whatever the motive was, I'm sure it's reasonable."

"Damn, man." Bobby moaned with sadness. "That sucks. You and Ibuki are pretty much in common when it comes to not havin' any biological support."

"That's what we were talking about last night before the meeting. I never mentioned this to her that night, but I can tell ya'll… including you, Snow… that I'm gonna do everything in my power to take good care of Ibuki. Treat her like a real woman should be treated, help her through her obstacles like she did for me and most of all, show her how much I love her. I'll save that last one for something special."

Kendra, Bobby, and Snow took in every last word in that statement and showed determined as well as peaceful looks on their faces as they nodded in response, believing that Tommy can make things right for himself and Ibuki now. Now that he officially dumped Sasha for good, he can now fully focus on maintaining his relationship with Ibuki along with trying to find some way to free his Mother.

Three hours later, at Animals of Happiness…

Tommy, Ibuki, and Snow just arrived to start their day at work. Johnnie was already there, as usual, preparing the place for the day. Johnnie nearly jumped when he spotted Snow next to Tommy's feet.

"What da hell…?" He exclaimed. Immediately after that was said, Snow squealed in greeting as he propped himself on his hind legs and leaned his front claws on top of the counter. "What is that?"

"This is Snow, Dad. He's the Albino Komodo Dragon granddad left me under his will." Tommy replied with a smile, keeping a good grip on Ibuki's hand as she just stood there, listening to the conversation with a cute smile. "He's only a year old, but he's already a rebel."

"Well, now. Ain't dat somethin'? He's kinda cute. Hey! Since he's a Komodo dragon, doesn't he-"

"The venom glands were removed a long time ago."

"Phew! That's good. Are ya gonna sell him?"

"No."

"Whaaaaa?"

"I love him, Dad. I wouldn't give him up for nothin'. Grandpa gave him to me as a gift under his will. Do you think I wanna sell Snow?"

"…Mm! Ya have a point dere. Anyway, ya'll ready ta work?"

Ten minutes later…

Ibuki was sitting in the back, tending to feed a tiger cub a bottle of baby formula, while Tommy carefully inspected Snow for any problems that his grandfather might have missed. While Ibuki was feeding the cub, she had a deep thought speaking to her in her mind:

_Tommy sure has been treating me well, unlike all those other boys I've dated before he ran into me. _Her voice said in her head. _I mean, sure they were all cute and all, but they treated me like shit. Something about Tommy, besides his struggle, is just making my heart go insane. He's so big and so tall… but he's so gentle with animals, judging by how gently he is on Snow here. Hopefully, he won't show too much anger when Sasha decides to visit. I'd hate to see his bad side, but then again, I'll never discover that side of him if I avoided it. I need to see the many sides of Tommy. _

As for Tommy, as he was inspecting Snow, his green eyes went wide for a quick second in realization. Snow noticed, but didn't make a sound as Tommy's voice spoke in his mind.

_Wait a minute._ His voice started in his head. _Kendra just said that Ibuki's been dating other boys before me, right? That explains how passionate our first kiss was. And she's been crying after every failed date, huh? This makes a good conversation starter. _

"Hey, Ibuki?" Tommy started verbally. Ibuki looked up from the cub at full attention. "Kendra told me that you've been on a pretty good boy hunt before me and my team arrived. Is that true?"

"What?" Ibuki exclaimed. "I told Kendra to keep her mouth shut about that!"

"But, is it?"

"Look, Tommy. I really don't wanna bring that up right now… not while we're at peace."

"But, that first kiss… and the kiss before you went to get Don, they have a good excuse for being so tasty."

"…Tommy…"

"C'mon, baby. My dad's up front, tendin' to a customer about fleas. It'll take him more than fifteen minutes to deal with it. Just explain it to me while we're alone."

"Are you serious? You have no idea how bad my heart is feeling right now since you brought that up!"

"They were that bad, huh?"

"Tommy! How can you be so calm about this? I'm pissed, man!"

"I know and I respect that. Right now, I just wanna know what happened in all those previous dates before meetin' me… and those better be your next words coming out of those cute, soft lips of yours."

"…" Ibuki was about to add more to the complaints until she heard that last statement. She sat there with her mouth open for about five seconds before she closed it with an attitude. She kept quiet for the next five minutes and continued to focus on the tiger cub she was feeding, trying to ignore Tommy's words. Tommy shook his head with dismay before he stood up from Snow for a second and approached Ibuki before he kneeled down towards her with a smooth smile on his face. Ibuki still didn't make any eye contact with those glowing green eyes of the linebacker and her look of frustration explained her anger perfectly. "…Get out of my face, Tommy."

"I'm coming up to you peacefully and you still turn me away? Girl, you sure do have the attitude of an orphan." Ibuki looked up at him with a cold stare.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"Damn."

"Hmmm?"

"It means that you just need to let those feelings out. If you keep them in, the anger you're already showin' right now is gonna get even worse. Just… please… for the sake of your heart and soul, just explain to me how most of those boy hunting days were."

"…Tommy… I…" Ibuki was starting to show tears in her brown eyes as she stared right at the gentle giant's peaceful face. She felt him just trying so hard to make her explain something she really wants to forget. "…I don't want to…"

"Yes, you do, baby. I know you do. Just go ahead and explain. Ninety-nine percent of these animals don't understand a single word you're saying because of their nationalities. Snow is the only one who understands and he promises to keep your tale confidential. Same goes for me. I won't tell anybody about it. Not even Sarai."

"…You promise?" Ibuki's tears escaped as she asked that question. Tommy kept his smooth smile as he nodded in response. Ibuki started to feel a warm passionate feeling from him as she continued. "Okay, but it'll be a long story."

"I've got all the time in the world… and I know my father will understand, if he happens to try to acquire our assistance. Just keep explaining as if he never walked in. Go ahead. I'm all ears."

"Okay. First of all, to answer your question about whether Kendra's statement was true, yes. Ever since I got enrolled into Sarusuberi and the Ninjitsu Research Club, I officially started looking for some boys who fit my tastes. The first guy I met was Kevyn Gardner. He was about my height, but he was a little too skinny for it. I immediately left him for that reason and never looked back. Then, I meet three more good lookin' guys and they tell me they're triplet brothers. I didn't know who to choose and they got a little testy about the idea."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ain't it obvious? The eldest of the brothers, Govi, forced me to date him, just like with Sasha's manipulation on you… only… he did more than just a date… he… he violated me."

"You mean… he… raped you?"

"It was awful, Tommy. I was so scared of him. Even his face sends horror down my spine."

"Damn…"

"The other two brothers, Hovi and Jovi, they just kept on forcing my hand. I eventually got into ninja mode on them and they ran off."

"How long was the rape?"

"Only five minutes. I don't wanna go too much into detail, but let's just say those five minutes were the most painful minutes ever!"

"Enough said. What happened next?"

"Shortly after I met those triplets, I met this record breaking guy. He was African American, just like you, but he was albino, just like Kendra."

"Damn! Albino must be the new Black around here. First, Kendra, then Snow, and now…"

"Karmayah Ferguson Wallis."

"That's his name?"

"Yep. I'm sounding happy because he was my boyfriend for a little while."

"What did you see in him?"

"Kindness and generosity, just like you, Tommy… except Karmayah was seven feet and two inches tall, had insane muscles like Zangief, beautiful sea green eyes, and his voice was just as sexy as yours, too."

"What happened with this guy?"

"So many things. I told him about that rape I just told you about and he instantly felt sympathy for me. So, he cheered me up by taking me to the park for a picnic. Shortly after that, we went to his place and… well… you take a wild guess."

"You got some."

"And it lasted aaaalllll night, baby. I never wanted him to stop. It's like he was born to do it so well."

"Shit! So, you ain't so new to sex and seduction, huh?"

"Nope. Judging by you, though, you seem to be so new at it."

"Yeah, but before we get to that, I'm tryin' to figure out what made you get all stubborn about tellin' me all this beforehand."

"The fact that I got raped on my second date."

"Ohhh, right. That's all that happened that was negative?"

"Yeah. After meeting and mating with Karmayah, he told me an interesting fact before he had to move back to Siberia."

"What?"

"He told me that he was Kendra's brother."

"…Whoa-ho-ho! No wonder they're albino."

"Yeah. Now, back to you… Sasha never made a move on you, didn't she?"

"Naw. That was a sign that she really didn't love me. She was just using me for my money."

"Gold digging bitch! Serves her right that she never needs to see your face. Speaking of, did you ever-?"

"During your training."

"…Really?" Ibuki maintained her seat as she gently placed down the tiger cub, who just sat there with a curious face. "You broke up with her?"

"I thought hard about what you and my Mother said and decided to take it all in stride on my own pace. I slammed her down hard, Ibuki! She didn't even hear it comin'!"

"YES!" Ibuki nearly tackled the big and tough linebacker on to the floor as she gave him an adorable embrace. "I knew you could do it! She took it like a champ, though, didn't she?"

"Sorta." Deep inside, Tommy was jumping all over the place in excitement while he breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Wait a minute! What about the reason why you cried yourself to sleep every night after a failed date?"

"After Karmayah moved away, all those bad boys were just coming at me in a way that made me believe that they were gonna violate me and I just felt terrible about the idea after what Govi did to me. So, every time I rejected a guy who just came up and asked me, 'Wanna go out, baby?', I just instantly run away like the ninja I am with tears in my eyes."

"And the tears don't stop."

"You guessed it. Now, you run into me because of that epic heartburn and you never asked me a stupid question like that."

"That's because you had your hair down. I didn't know it was you until you said your name. You were cuter with the hair down, though."

"So, you've already said." Ibuki sighed after that statement before she slowly raised her hand towards Tommy's right arm and just gave it a good massage with a look of passion on her face. Tommy just sat there and allowed her to do what she pleased. He felt she deserved it for being such a good supporter and a good sport in telling her sad story about her failed dates of Hell. His smile was as cute and sexy as it could get, but Ibuki never looked at it. She was more into his impressive muscles of a football player and, after about a good two minutes of one hand stroking his right arm, her other hand went to the other before she ended up massaging his shoulders. She looked up at that same sexy smile Tommy had just pasted onto his face and her adorable seductive look made his smile even bigger. In response to her soft touch, Tommy's huge hands went to the kunoichi's waist and he just held her there for a few seconds before Ibuki decided to show her bad girl side by reaching down to one of those strong hands and leading it up to her breasts. He never resisted as he took a soft grip on her left bosom and never released it. She moaned with appreciation and her eyelids lowered with even more naughtiness as she used her other hand to lead Tommy's respective hand down to her ass. Once again, she moaned with the same appreciation and, in a split second, she tilted her head back with ecstasy when she felt sensations just flow all over her body as she groaned even louder.

Tommy was enjoying this little expedition and he gave both areas on Ibuki's body good rubs, sending her moaning even louder between heavy breaths, keeping her firm grip on his shoulders for support. While this lasted, Tommy chuckled on the inside as his voice said in his head:

_Holy shit!__ Bobby was always sayin' that I wanted some, but it looks like she wants me more than I want her. I'm still not ready, since I'm a virgin. I'm a bit of a skeptic about it… but, damn! Ibuki looks kinda hot when she's all in the moment like this… and sounds cute as hell. Just to be safe, I'll wait until after our first football game. It'll be a bonus if we do it to celebrate our first win._

A good thirty minutes went by since this sexy scene started and Tommy was about to let go because he had enough, but Ibuki would have none of that. She abruptly lifted her head up, so that she was looking right at him with a cold stare. Tommy didn't feel intimidated by the look as the kunoichi spoke.

"Did I tell you to stop?" She asked with a little attitude. Tommy raised an eyebrow with a smooth smirk. "I could've sworn I didn't."

"Naw, you didn't tell me to stop, but we are at work here. That tiger cub you were feedin' needs to burp now and I need to finish inspecting Snow for any problems." Tommy replied, keeping his cool. Ibuki giggled her cutest and that made Tommy's cheeks turn a slight shade of red.

"I know the tiger needs to be burped, Tommy-chan."

"Oh, you're callin' me Tommy-chan now?"

"I respect you. That's why. With that being the case, what do you call me?"

"Sexy-buki."

"Good."

"But, seriously, Ibuki-"

"Ahem!"

"Ugh! Sexy-buki… we need to continue our work. My dad's gonna be here any minute and-"

"Too late!" Johnnie came in with humor. Tommy and Ibuki immediately looked at him with embarrassment. "Don't be blushin', ya'll. I've been standing here since Ibuki just let you touch her boobs."

"Yikes…"

"Now, you two get back ta work. Ibuki, burp dat tiga and Tommy, get back to inspectin' Snow."

"Yes, sir." Ibuki and Tommy replied simultaneously before they obeyed their supervisor. Johnnie nodded with satisfaction before he walked back out towards the counter and continued to tend to the flea-bitten puppy.

Four hours later…

It was knocking on 5 p.m. and Johnnie told all of the customers that it was time for them to go because it was closing time. They nodded in understanding before they all picked up their respective pets and left for the day. After everyone was gone, he went to the back to check on his son and Ibuki. When he got there, he saw that Tommy was just giving Snow his medicated shots while Ibuki just laid a black-footed ferret down to sleep before giving it a soft kiss on the cheek. Ibuki sensed his presence before she slowly stood up and took off her protective apron before she approached him and led him out the door while Tommy was still tending to Snow and his shots.

"What's up, Ibuki?" Johnnie asked in wonder. Ibuki shushed him for a second before she continued.

"You do know that Tommy and I are in love, right?" She asked in a whisper. Johnnie humphed with confidence as he crossed his arms.

"I'm not so surprised… judging by how you let him touch ya today."

"Yeah, well… I was desperate, but listen. Promise me you won't tell him this, but after our little roommate exchange this evening, I'm planning a small surprise for being so sweet to me."

"Care ta… give me a small run-down on this… small surprise?"

"While he's busy, yeah…" She paused as she whispered in Johnnie's ear for about thirty seconds before she moved away with the elder looking at her with a look of disgust and shock. "…yeeeeeah. It's gonna be crazy."

"Yikes. Sooooo glad I won't be there to witness it. Do you think he'll jump right on ya when he sees you?"

"Probably, but since he keeps saying he's not ready for the good shit yet, I can wait for him."

"Well, knowin' my virgin son, he better behave himself."

"Don't worry. He will." After that, she went outside and, when she saw that there was nobody around, she professionally leaped her way back to Sarusuberi on foot like the kunoichi she was.

Five minutes later…

Ibuki just arrived at her dorm room door and went inside to find Kendra already packing her things for the exchange.

"Hey, Ibuki." Kendra greeted. "How was work today?"

"Great as always, but this time, it's ending in a good way for once. Tommy just told me that he broke up with Sasha." Ibuki replied with a smile. Kendra nodded.

"I know. I heard. Are you proud of him?"

"Totally! He's gonna love my little surprise once he gets back here."

"A little surprise? What is it?"

"I'm not telling you!"

"Bitch."

"Likewise." Ibuki remained silent after that as she went over to the bathroom to get herself prepared for the surprise. Kendra sighed as she just closed her suitcase before she approached the bathroom door, which was opened slightly before she pushed it open to see Ibuki's back facing her, but before she prepared to take off her t-shirt… "Get out, Kendra! You're gonna spoil the surprise!"

"Interesting. You better not do anything stupid, then."

"Then, shut the hell up and get out! Bobby's waiting for you."

"Fine." Kendra finally obeyed before she grabbed her belongings and she reluctantly left the room. When she stepped out, she spotted Tommy and Snow just walking up the stairs. She was about to greet him, but she noticed that he was on the phone with Sasha again. She decided to listen in on the conversation.

"You still aren't givin' up, huh?" Tommy said with anger.

"I know you still love me." Sasha replied. "You may have told me that you have Ibuki now, but personally, I don't give a shit about Ibuki. She's a stupid ninja. So what?"

"WHAT? You can't talk about Ibuki like that! She happens to be a sweet girl on the outside."

"Humph! That's what she wants you to think!"

"Ugh! What the fuck is wrong with you? What do I have to do to prove it to you?"

"I don't know and I don't care! I'm gonna get my chance to visit you and see what I do!"

"You bitch! You are just as stubborn as a jackass!"

"Say what you want, Tommy! I ain't neva gonna change!"

"We'll see! Now, I gotta finish my homework, a'ight? I just got off work and I don't need you to pester me! LEAVE ME ALONE!" After that, Tommy finally hung up the phone. Five seconds later, it rang again and he saw that it was Sasha again. He just snorted at the phone before he held down the power button and it turned off. Kendra shook her head with disappointment as she approached the angry linebacker. "Kendra, did you see what I just went through?"

"Yes, and apparently, having Sasha hear you say that you are in love with Ibuki now didn't seem to convince her to leave you alone." Kendra replied. "If this is constantly happening around her, then she is stubborn."

"See what I mean? She just constantly begs me to come back to her, but I bet she's with that Donovan bastard right now."

"She might be, but let's leave it alone. Ibuki's waiting for you inside. Your things are already in the room. The exchange has been completed."

"Good."

"She's planning a small surprise for you."

"…She is? Is that why she left before me?"

"Yes. I don't know what it is, but she's preparing for it. You better get inside."

"Hmmm…" Tommy had quite a hunch as to what the surprise might be. He nodded at Kendra's words before he and Snow headed for the room. It was already unlocked and he allowed himself in. He took a deep breath through his nose and picked up the scent of lavender all over the room, but no candles. He looked over on Ibuki's bed and saw Don just laying there, watching TV. Snow drooled with hunger when he spotted the tanuki and he slowly approached the bed while Tommy went towards the bathroom door. He felt the doorknob and felt that it was unlocked, but before he could open it, he heard muffled squealing from behind him and saw that Don's tail was sticking out of Snow's mouth and Tommy cleared his throat to get his komodo dragon's attention.

"Snow!" He whispered before the pure while monitor lizard quickly spit the tanuki back out on the floor, leaving him covered in massive amounts of saliva. "Leave him alone. No eating Don, okay? He's our mascot."

"Sorry." Snow managed to growl out in apology. Tommy nodded with satisfaction before he turned his attention back to the bathroom door. He gently grabbed the doorknob and was ready to open it, but he never realized that Ibuki was standing right behind him, dressed in her pajamas, which was basically a very comfortable bra and panties set decorated with pink, red, and plenty of hearts all over both pieces. She still rocked her signature ponytail along with it as well.

Snow spotted her, but Ibuki silently shushed him. He instantly got quiet before Ibuki walked up to Tommy and when she got close enough to his back, she slowly slid her hands up his hard abs under his tank top and leaned her head against his tough back before Tommy froze with a smile and took in her touch.

"Hey, Ibuki." He greeted with small chuckle. "You were behind me that whole time, weren't you?"

"You never saw me, neither." Ibuki replied. "I… uh… overheard your conversation with Sasha out there. She still didn't take it, didn't she?"

"I thought she did, but like I said, she's a hard-headed bitch. She'll never get over it unless we prove it to her. I don't know how, but I'm sure we'll find some way."

"Yeah, we will. Now, um… why don't you turn around? I'm wearing my surprise."

"A'ight. Let's see it, then." Tommy slowly turned around and froze. This was only the second time seeing Ibuki's beautiful, slim, and athletic feminine build of a kunoichi's body in a two-piece pajama set that was quite sexy to him. He stood there before her, just scanning her entire body from head to toe and back. Ibuki never laid her eyes off of his body neither as she snuck out a kunai from behind and slowly sliced the shirt open without cutting him. When she finished, time seemed to stop for her as she saw his impressive six-pack for the first time since she met him. Inside both of their minds, they both drooled with high anticipation. Ibuki has never seen a man look this good since she dated Karmayah and as for Tommy, well… Sasha was his last sexy figurine he's seen before meeting Ibuki… obviously.

The two never realized that fifteen minutes have gone by since they both stared at each other's sexy bodies. Snow admired the whole moment with Don before the monitor lizard sneezed, knocking Ibuki and Tommy out the trance.

"Bless-you,-Snow." Tommy quickly said as he blinked his eyes to snap himself out of it. Ibuki did the same as she shook her head to snap herself out as well before she spoke.

"Whoa…" She muttered. "What just happened?"

"I don't know, but damn, baby. I knew you had a sexy body right here."

"Same goes for you, Mr. Muscle. My God… your body looks… mmmm!"

"Easy now, Sexy-buki. Don't pounce on me just yet. Now, seeing you in these pajamas was your surprise, huh?"

"Yeah. I figured you deserved it for being so nice to me ever since you ran into me."

"And it's a good-lookin' surprise, too."

"Aside from this, though, we're gonna finish looking up some information on Komodo Dragons. Now that you have Snow, we have an advantage."

"Yeah, you're right. Let's get to the studyin', then."

Five minutes later…

Ibuki and Tommy, now in nothing but his boxers, were cuddled up next to each other in their two beds pushed together. They were both looking in an information book on Komodo Dragons and Ibuki managed to write down any crucial information under Tommy's strong arms and into her little notepad. While she was writing, she felt a warm sense of comfort on her smooth skin, like she was protected. At this point, she was _this _close to finally "getting some" with Tommy, but she tried with all her might to keep that desire to herself. As for Tommy, he smiled with passion as he was feeling Ibuki's baby soft skin for the first time on something other than her face. He slowly reached down under the covers and managed to get a good feel of her creamy legs. Ibuki reacted to the touch by an appreciative moan, giving him a seductive side-glance away from her notepad to see his handsome smile. After about a minute of the gentle leg massage, she playfully slapped that very hand that was doing the work and he immediately stopped with a chuckle every girl would drool at.

"What?" Tommy asked just as playfully. "Can't I touch you below your face for once?"

"You did… twice." Ibuki replied with a smooth tone in her cute voice.

"Yeah, but not without those clothes on. You got baby soft skin all over that sexy body of yours, baby. Personally, Sasha did, too… but it seems like you use the most expensive lotion and body wash every day."

"Yeah, well… I gotta keep my skin lookin' fresh. Judging by your skin, you do have that little Korean smoothness on you… unlike every other guy I've been with… except Karmayah."

"Hmmm… obviously. Am I offending you with these kinky touches?"

"Not really. They actually feel good." Right after Ibuki said this statement, Tommy's bad boy side kicked in as he snuck a finger down towards her crotch and she gasped with surprise as she bucked her hips in response to the horny touch. This scene lasted for a good three minutes before she desperately grabbed his wrist and stopped him from getting her panties wet. "Oh… my God! Don't… don't go there yet. Geez! You can touch my legs, but don't go between them."

"I thought you said they felt good."

"…" Ibuki couldn't believe that she was being teased in such a way that not even her dreams would offer. She kept quiet as she slowly placed down her notepad and turned her whole body around so that she was facing him. Tommy still held the book in his hands behind her, but his lust for Ibuki's sweet skin commanded him to release the book and give her as much of an incentive as possible. He obeyed as he dropped the book and held the kunoichi closer to him, allowing her to feel his rock-hard abs and pectorals against her bare skin. Ibuki's smile grew wider as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down towards her own and she allowed him to gently taste her in his most romantic manner possible.

"Ahhhhhhh, yeah." Ibuki moaned with lust, holding his head even closer to her neck, giving him more of herself. "That's it, Tommy-chan. Taste me! Take me and taste me, like your piece of candy! YES!"

Tommy never disobeyed her desperate commands and he continued to lick, kiss, and smother her neck all around for the next five minutes before she gently pushed his head down just a little and the linebacker immediately got the hint before he gently pried off part of her pink bra on her left breast and carefully started to give her nipple a good licking, sending passionate heat flowing through Ibuki's sensitive body. She groaned even louder as she held him as close to her body as she could, giving him all she's got to offer to his sexual taste buds.

Ten more minutes passed before Tommy's instincts took over him like a hungry beast and he reached behind Ibuki's back and undid her bra, throwing it to nowhere in particular in the room before he continued to give her his wettest kisses on both of her delicate C-cup sized breasts. Ibuki groaned, gasped, and moaned his name so many times during this expedition and those sexy sounds were just giving Tommy more confidence in himself. He gained even more as he moved his hands back down to her smooth legs and even snuck a few squeezes on her ass every now and then.

During this whole scene, Don and Snow were watching in silence with smiles on both of their faces. They looked at each other for a while before they started speaking to each other in their minds.

_It's a pleasure to meet you, Don. _Snow greeted with a Russian accent in his Stitch-like voice. _You must be tanuki, yes? _

_Yep. _Don replied in a normal ten-year-old boy's voice. _That's what I am. Don't wear it out. And you must be a komodo dragon._

_Yes, I am. So… uh… _Snow paused as he looked at the sexy scene before them. _Ibuki's desperate for him, isn't she? _

_I guess. Personally, I've been worried about her extreme interest in boys. I was hoping and praying that she wouldn't go too far with it and she didn't… until now. Heh, heh! _

_That's because she's finally found man she wants… and doesn't hearing her call him "Tommy-chan" give a sign that she finally has him in her heart? _

_Yeah, you're right. She hasn't added the "chan" part to any guy's name since she added it to mine. It's a sign of respect to the male._

_I see. Let's watch the rest of this, shall we?_

_Until we fall asleep, yeah. _

Thirty minutes later…

Tommy and Ibuki were just about to fall asleep in each other's arms after a good forty minutes or so of nothing but sneaky touches, tasty kisses, and sexy massages on each other, but not quite sexual intercourse. Despite this, they both felt that this was enough until Sasha was through with tormenting the solemn linebacker. Ibuki's bra was back on… amazingly… and seeing Tommy finally fall asleep after admiring her face for a few more seconds just gave her the strength to keep on cheering him up. She cried silent happy tears before she softly spoke to her tanuki, even though he was asleep next to Snow.

"Don-chan, I know you're sleeping." Ibuki started. "But, I'm crying right now because I finally found a man who understands my struggles as well as I know his own. No more boy hunting for me. He treats me like a woman should be treated, he respects me, and we share the same fragile heart of an only child or an orphan, in my case. It seems like he only lets out his bad boy side in front of me, his teammates, his best friend, and now, you, Don… and wow. He's got some hot instincts brewing under those boxers. I know it. Damn, Don. I think we're a couple now."

Ibuki sighed with passion after that beautiful speech before she eventually fell asleep herself, cuddling her head under his chin for additional comfort.

This Sunday was indeed a first of everything in Tommy's book.

To be continued…


	6. Sarusuberi Blitz

Chapter 6: Sarusuberi Blitz

A brand new week for Tommy and his team and everything was just getting started. Their first game against the Nagasaki Tigers was closing in for Tuesday night of this new week and Broderick had to make sure all of the qualifications were met beforehand with the Dean.

"Hmmm…" Morris started as he looked over the playbook and the team's name. "…Mm-hmm. Interesting."

"Is that good, Mr. Dean, sir?" Broderick asked nervously. "I left all that there for ya on da night of da meetin' since you weren't in the the office."

"I see… and so far, it's convincing."

"Phew! Thanks."

"But…"

"Aw, man!"

"Tanukis, though? Who in the right mind came up with this idea?"

"Uh… Ibuki?"

"Ibuki, huh? Did you tell her to make the idea or did she come up with that herself?"

"Well, she… I convinced her to make it that way…"

"Uh, huh…"

"B-b-but, she agreed with it because Don sure could use some attention."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about cute little Don-chan. He is allowed on campus as long as he represents your team only. Nothing more and nothing less. Make sure you tell that to Ibuki, okay?"

"Sho thang, Morris."

Meanwhile, in Bobby and Kendra's room…

Kendra just finished getting ready for her day while Bobby was in the bathroom, giving himself a light shave. The albino sister of Karmayah looked into the bathroom and just admired Bobby from where she sat on her bed. Her adorable smile was sending a telepathic message to little Bobby and it seemed to have worked as he jumped in realization, feeling Kendra's stare.

"Yeah, Kendra?" He asked her in wonder. Kendra shook her head to snap herself out of the trance before she grabbed her backpack and tried to pretend she never stared at him. Bobby shook his head with humor as he just placed down his razor on the sink and looked into the mirror with a smile. "Man, I need to get out more. Tommy's got Ibuki and I should be tryin' to get Kendra. Maybe I should take it slow, just like Tommy is. Speakin' of, Kendra?"

"Yes?" Kendra replied.

"You don't mind if we… ya know… start out slow in this relationship, huh?"

"I don't mind, but why so soon? I barely got to know you."

"I know, but that's how that will happen."

"You're right. I guess we can start on our relationship now. Let's check up on Ibuki and Tommy before we head to our classes."

"Yeah. I have a crazy feelin' that they might be up to somethin'…"

Meanwhile, in Tommy and Ibuki's room…

They were both in the bathroom, sharing the mirror. Ibuki was styling her hair into her classic ponytail while Tommy was giving himself a good trim on his sideburns. They both decided to wear identical clothes on this special day just so they can show the rest of the campus that they were officially a couple. They both had on purple tank tops and pure white skinny low rise jeans for Ibuki and pure white baggy jeans for Tommy. They even wore the same shoes, which were matching purple and white sneakers. When they both finished preparing themselves for the day, Ibuki and Tommy looked at each other with passionate smiles before Ibuki slowly got closer to the linebacker, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled herself up to meet his lips, slithering her tongue into his mouth for some added pleasure to the kiss. Tommy moaned with appreciation as he gently wrapped his huge arms around her body and lifted her up to heighten the kiss. They were in this position for the next five minutes, having Tommy's hands roam all over Ibuki's back and ass, until three knocks came at the dorm room door. They slowly ended the kiss with Ibuki's glowing brown eyes seductively looking into Tommy's neon green ones with as much lust as she could possible possess. Tommy returned the sexy stare for about ten seconds before he gently leaned in for one more quick kiss on the mouth before he slowly placed her back on her feet and headed for the door to answer it. Ibuki watched him leave the bathroom with a cute smile for about five seconds before she reluctantly followed him to see what's up.

As for Tommy, he just opened the door and he saw his coach standing there with anxiety.

"Mornin', coach." Tommy greeted, as if nothing ever happened beforehand. "What's up?"

"Just talked to the Dean about the team and our first game tomorrow night." Broderick started. "We're in!"

"That's great!"

"But, uh… he was actually having a bit of some doubt about Don."

"Say-what?" Ibuki asked with sarcasm. "There's nothing wrong with Don-chan. He's a well-behaved tanuki."

"Yeah, I know and Morris knows, but somethin' 'bout havin' an actual tanuki on campus gives him a sense of worry. So, here's his deal: If ya'll win, Don can stay as both a classmate companion and a mascot, but if ya'll lose, Don can only be here the night before and on the day of the game."

"…That's bullshit."

"I know. Dat's what I was thinkin', too, Ibuki. What do you think of this offer, Tommy?"

"Doesn't seem fair to me." Tommy replied with just as much disappointment as his girlfriend. "Don is bein' a good boy so far. I don't see why his stay should be limited."

"That's what he said and he _is _da damn Dean, so… what are we gonna do, huh?"

"Let's just hope and pray that we win our first game and Don can stay."

"Plenty of practice should make dat happen. Speakin' of which, practice starts right afta your classes. Ibuki, you're welcome to join us, if ya like."

"Thanks, Broderick." Ibuki replied.

"No problem." The elderly coach then jumped with surprise when he just noticed how Ibuki and Tommy were dressed. "What da hell…? What's wit da twin look?"

"Just a fun symbolization of how much Ibuki and I love each other." Tommy replied in an expert tone of his deep voice, holding Ibuki next to him with a smile. "What do you think?"

"Dat ain't a bad idea at all. Ya'll have a good day now, here?"

Ten minutes later…

Bobby, Ibuki, Tommy, and Kendra just arrived at their Chemistry class and sat down in their respective seats. When the class spotted Snow walking in between Tommy and Ibuki, they all froze with amazement as they watched him through the whole walk. Don was riding right on top of him, but most of the students already knew the little tanuki very well. They were more facinated with Snow.

"Oh, my goodness!" Professor Jarlina exclaimed as Snow just sat down next to Tommy on his respective side of the table like a dog, allowing Don to slide down and head for Ibuki's back of her chair and just held on there. "Is that… what I think it is?"

"A pure white Komodo Dragon?" Tommy asked with confidence in his smile. Jarlina nodded in response. "Yeah, you guessed it."

"He's beautiful! What's his name?"

"Snow."

"Awww, cute. Welcome aboard, Snow." The white monitor lizard roared in response with a bow. Jarlina was already admiring this lizard. "My, my… so polite. Where did you get him from?"

"My grandfather granted him to me under his will when he kicked the bucket."

"Oh, aww. I'm so sorry to hear that. You have my deepest condolences."

"Thank you, Professor."

"You are very welcome. Now, since you have Snow, will he be your 'experiment' for our class project?"

"More like a study buddy, yeah. Since he's a rare Komodo Dragon, I have to preserve him as much as I can."

"I understand. Now, let's get to the research. I have a feeling that you and Ibuki might have the best Komodo Dragon, but let's keep our fingers crossed." Right after that was said, the class obeyed quickly as they all continued their research. Bobby just pulled out his laptop and started on his with Kendra while Tommy did the same with Ibuki. Tommy looked over at Ibuki for a moment and just admired her for a while. He just couldn't believe that his relationship was at full swing so quickly and he figured it was all because of his conversations with Fate from his childhood along with the massive increase in confidence after finally breaking up with Sasha along the way. Ibuki was an angel to him and so was he to her in return. That bond was getting stronger and stronger by the day, but he still wasn't ready to 'get it on' with the kunoichi yet. Ibuki sensed that dilemma, even from writing in her notebook. She looked back at him with a smile.

"You're just studying me, aren't you?" She asked in a playful tone. Tommy blushed to admit it and Ibuki giggled. "Awww, you're too cute for that. If you wanted to study me, why don't you physically get involved with the research?"

"I'm not ready… for the thousandth time." Tommy replied with honesty and a little humor.

"Well, what the hell has to be done in order for you to be ready?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure something will turn up."

"Hmmm…" Ibuki knew he was lying about that last statement somehow, but she decided to keep that to herself until the right moment. She looked over at Kendra and Bobby and she mentally gasped in her head when she noticed where Bobby's hand was on Kendra's leg. Don saw it as well and knew what his owner wanted him to do. The tanuki slowly crawled off of the chair before he snuck over to Bobby's chair and gave a slightly good shove forward, forcing Kendra to feel the touch with surprise before she looked over at Bobby, who looked extremely nervous with red cheeks of embarrassment painted all over his face. Don squealed with confidence before quickly headed back to Ibuki's chair as if he never did anything. "Yeah, Kendra. He was touching you."

"Bobby!" Kendra exclaimed in defense. "How long have you been touching me?"

"Heh, heh… long enough, I guess." Bobby muttered. Tommy didn't watch the event, but he shook his head with humor upon hearing that statement.

"Easy, tiger." Tommy warned. "I hear Kendra can get rather defensive. She ain't like Ibuki."

"HEY!" Ibuki exclaimed in a playful manner. "You started all that touching last night!"

"Shhhh! Girl, don't reveal that to nobody."

"Too late!" Jarlina came in with humor, keeping her seat at her desk. "Besides, you two look great today. What's the occasion?"

"We're celebratin' our newly found relationship. Ibuki and I are officially a couple now."

"Awww, that's fantastic. You do look like the perfect couple."

"Thanks."

An hour and thirty minutes later after class…

Ibuki and Tommy immediately gained all the attention from the other students as they were walking down the halls to their next class. Many students were snapping pictures of them on their cell phones and digital cameras every now and then, like they were celeberties. With Don and Snow walking next to them, it added on even more attention. Tommy felt a warm feeling in his heart as he was gaining all of this attention for the first time in over three years.

"Wow." Ibuki muttered with sarcasm. "This twin look is gaining more attention than I thought."

"Yeah." Tommy agreed. "It even adds to the nervousness I'm havin'."

"What? You? Nervous? No way!"

"Yeah, even big boys like me can get nervous. It's about our first football game here. Making an impression good enough to keep Don here is gonna be hard."

"Yeah, I know… but what about me, huh? What will happen if you win, besides keeping my little Don-chan here?"

"Well-whoa! Wait a minute!" Tommy abruptly stopped the walk and faced Ibuki with a look of playful anger. "How did you know I was thinkin' about that?"

"I'm a ninja. That's how."

"…damn." Tommy was indeed caught in his thoughts about planning to 'get some' with Ibuki as a celebration for winning their first game. Snow and Don just got what was going on and looked at each other with surprise while the conversation continued. "Sexy-buki…"

"Yes?"

"…you never cease to amaze me. I… uh… was actually planning on finally sliding my key into your ignition as a way of celebratin' our first win. That's not a bad idea, right?"

"Not bad at all… especially since I'll finally get to watch you on the field for the first time beforehand. Practice just won't cut it."

"But, I still have to practice. Like the Coach said, you can join us and just watch us from the sidelines with Don and Snow. Trust me on this. Practice will be just as good to watch me in as in the real game itself. You won't be disappointed, baby girl."

"I hope not."

Two classes later…

It was lunchtime yet again and the football team was just revved up for the game, even though it didn't start until tomorrow. Time just seemed to go by so fast for them and they just couldn't wait. Kendra and Ibuki sat with the team again while Don and Snow ate their respective lunches on the floor next to the table. Broderick gently tapped his can of iced coffee before he spoke.

"Can I have yo' attention, boys… and girls?" He started. "Don't start gettin' cocky just yet, fellas. I hear dose tigas are a handfull to handle, since they're second best. We gotta watch our back out there tomorra. Tommy… Bobby… especially you two. You gotta keep yo' teammates on their toes, even if the score seems one-sided. Got it?"

"Got it, Coach." Tommy and Bobby replied with serious looks on their faces.

"Good, and Don?"

"Huh?" The tanuki managed to squeal before he hopped up onto Ibuki's lap with a smile.

"Ya gotta represent our team with spunk. Can ya handle dat?" Don nodded in response. "Good, good… and Ibuki, make sure he doesn't cause any problems."

"Oh, you can be sure he won't do nothin'." Ibuki replied with confidence and a smile.

"Excellent! Okay, as fo' da rest of ya…"

While Broderick was continuing his preparation speech, Ibuki's ninja senses kicked in as she suddenly sensed something extremely wrong in the cafeteria. Her smile turned into a face of anger and bravery in a matter of seconds and she just cautiously looked around the place without moving from her seat. Don looked up at her with curiosity and he was just confused as to why Ibuki was looking so concerned. The amazing thing about this whole scene was that nobody at the table, including Tommy, never noticed her strange behavior. She continued to look around for any sign of negativity. Then, in less than five seconds later, Ibuki's sixth sense came into its highest capacity as her angry face got even more sinister, staring at the lunch line that was ten big tables away. Don's senses kicked in not too long after as he growled viciously and that got the others' attention.

"Whoa!" Broderick exclaimed. "What's with Don all of a sudden?"

"Something's wrong here." Ibuki replied with a serious tone in her cute voice. This immediately got the boys and Kendra concerned as they looked in the direction the kunoichi was looking, but they didn't see anything. "It's happening inside the lunch line."

"I don't see nothin'." Seconds after that was said, a group of four men dressed in multi-colored hooded sweatshirts and blue jeans walked out of the exit of the lunch line and the one in the yellow hoodie turned his attention to the football table, preferbally Tommy, and in less than five seconds, he pulled out a gun and Ibuki reacted quickly. "What the…?"

"DUCK!" Ibuki screamed before she quickly grabbed Tommy's collar of his shirt and pulled him down just millimeters away from the bullet that was aiming for the linebacker's head. The gunfire continued from the other three joining in, sending the whole cafeteria running and screaming in extreme panic. Broderick was in a slight state of panic himself as he spoke.

"Who da fuck are dose bastards?"

"And how did they find me?" Tommy added in his softest volume possible. Ibuki was the only one who caught it and she looked at him with shock.

"You know those guys?" She asked him in a volume of her own voice that was just as soft. Tommy nodded in response.

"Yeah. I never told you this, but out of anger towards Sasha, I decided to join in a pretty bad-ass crowd. Those guys that are shootin' right now… they call themselves 'The Rainbow Renegade'. I used to be a part of that gang."

"…Really?"

"Yeah. They finally found me and I'm wondering why they're here. You better let me handle those guys. You and the rest of the team stay here and don't move."

"But, Tommy…" Ibuki was tearing up with worry, but Tommy calmed her down with gently touch to her right cheek. "…please let me help you."

Tommy smiled with every last bit of his passion and he knew he couldn't let the adorable Ibuki down. Besides, he always wanted to see his girlfriend in ninja mode and see how she fights, but one thing concerned him before he made his answer…

"Aren't you worried that other students might know that you're a ninja?"

"Not really. Not anymore. Since there's a Ninjitsu Research Club on campus, they know there are actual ninjas wondering around here, including me. So, no, I'm not worried."

"Good. You can back me up, then… just in case the leader gets reckless."

"I'm… guessing the leader in the guy in the yellow."

"Yeah. You'll know his name as we go along. You go ahead and get yourself into ninja mode and you can come on out later, whenever your ready."

"Thanks, baby. I knew you could work things out with me. I'll be extra careful once I do come out. I'm always careful."

"That's my Sexy-buki."

Two minutes later…

The shooting was still going on because the screaming crowd was still running around with horror in their hearts. As Tommy suggested, the rest of his team, Kendra, Snow, and Don stayed under the table for cover while Tommy bravely crawled out from under there and stood up, stopping the shooting immediately. This left the rest of the students a huge chance to escape while there were no bullets flying and nobody else was in the cafeteria except the football team, Ibuki, Kendra, Snow, Don, and the Rainbow Renegade. The leader dressed in the yellow slowly lowered his gun before he took off his hood to reveal a Caucasian American at about the same height and muscle capacity as Tommy with blonde hair that stopped right at his shoulders and he had light brown eyes.

"Long time no see, Hyden." Tommy greeted with a cold stare. "It's been a good five years since I last saw you and your punk-ass gang. I see nothin' has changed since then."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Hyden muttered in a normal male voice of a man in his low twenties. "Get it outta your system. Anyway, the gang and I finally found you and, I gotta admit… you sure did make something good of your life."

"Unlike you."

"Don't test me, dude. You used to be da very best in our gang, man! What happened to you?"

"I finally dumped Sasha and I feel a little more light-hearted now. I don't belong with you guys anymore."

"What? You mean to tell me that you were in this gang all because of that bitch Sasha?"

"Yeah, dumb-ass. What did you think the reason was?"

"I thought it was just because you were bored and needed something to do. You lied to us!"

"That was the only way I could join in."

"Well, now that I've heard this stupid reason, how about I reward ya with a bullet in your thick skull?" Hyden cocked the pistol and aimed it at Tommy's face, right between his eyes, but before he could pull the trigger…

_SLASH!_

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Hyden screamed with extreme pain as he felt a kunai stab the very arm that was holding the gun before it was dropped to the tile floor, allowing Tommy to pick it up as slowly as he could before he gently placed it away in his jeans pocket. Seconds after that, Ibuki just landed beside her boyfriend in her famous ninja dogi, except it was purple. She had six more kunais, three in one hand and three the other hand, ready to attack again, in case Hyden didn't get the hint. "WHAT THE F-?" The leader froze when he saw that it was Ibuki herself standing next to his former gang member. He got the hint immediately as he continued while he held his stab wound. "Oh-ho-ho-ho… I see now. You left Sasha and nabbed Ibuki. Big fan of hers or somethin'?"

"Sorta." Tommy replied with a smug confident look on his face. "She's my girlfriend and we connect spiritually."

"Is that right? Well, sorry for misjudgin' ya. Vorest, Jakkii, Lewyss… check this out."

The three boys behind Hyden, dressed in green, orange, and indigo respectively, obeyed their leader as they took a good look at their former gang member standing next to the young kunoichi. Vorest stepped up to take a closer look, vigoriously pulling out the kunai from Hyden's arm on the way, before he got close enough to have Hyden's own gun aimed at his nose by Tommy in a threatening jesture.

"Touch Ibuki and you'll die." Tommy threatened. "Step back, motherfucker!"

"Just wanted to give Ibuki back her weapon of spiritual guidance." Vorest quoted professionally in an extremely deep male voice that was five times deeper than Tommy. Ibuki's eyes shot wide open with surprise because that voice was too familiar to her… somehow. "Here you go… Ibuki-chan."

"…Karmayah?" Ibuki guessed in a sorrowful whisper. Tommy lowered his gun with wide shocked green eyes as well before Vorest made a small chuckle before he slowly took off his hood. The seven foot and two inch tall man revealed himself to be just as albino on the skin as Kendra, had those beautiful sea green eyes, and long blonde hair that stopped just in the middle of his thighs. How he managed to keep all that hair under the hood was beyond belief to Ibuki as she lowered her defenses when she realized that it was really her old boyfriend Karmayah Ferguson Wallis himself. Ibuki couldn't believe it as she took several steps back with fear and shock all at once. "I… I thought… you-you-you can't be-"

"But I am here, Ibuki-chan. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Y-y-y-y-y-y-yeah, but I thought you moved out of town months ago."

"I did… to downtown Nagasaki."

"…oh! You didn't go far!" Ibuki pulled off her half mask as she placed away her weapons and gave her old friend a sweet hug. Tommy smiled at this scene. Hyden, Jakkii, and Lewyss could care less as they watched the scene with disgust in their minds. "How are you, Karmayah? I've missed you."

"And I you as well. I see you finally found a new boyfriend much more suited to your status. You haven't changed a bit since I moved."

"Same goes to you. I have been taking good care of your sister, by the way. She's over there under the table with Tommy's team." As soon as Ibuki pointed over to where Kendra was, she was teary-eyed as she got up from under there and ran towards her extremely tall brother for a hug so happy, Tommy couldn't hold back his tears anymore.

"Thank you so much, Ibuki-chan. Kendra looks perfectly fine. How are you, my older sibling?"

"OLDER?" Everybody exclaimed, even the rest of the Rainbow Renegade.

"Yes. Kendra is 22 years old, correct?"

"Yeah." Ibuki replied.

"I'm 21."

"She's older than you by a year and she's so short, too?"

"Grotesque appearance between us, I know, but that's how we were born." Kendra agreed. "So, you joined this gang and renamed yourself 'Vorest'?" Karmayah nodded in response. "Why?"

"Two reasons:" Karmayah started. "To shorten my name and make it easy to remember for my other three gang members… but now that I see that this gang is much more violent than I predicted, I'm dropping myself out."

"WHAT?" Hyden screamed with anger. "You can't do that!"

"Says who?"

"…Me!"

"Humph! I laugh at your futile attempts to take me back. Your request has been denied. I'm reuniting with my sister and that's final!"

"…wha… but…" Tommy interrupted him by cocking his gun and aiming it right at Hyden's face between his eyes.

"Shut the fuck up, douchebag!" The linebacker threatened, making Lewyss and Jakkii flee with extreme fear for good. Hyden just stood there with shock for about five silent seconds until…

_BANG!_

Everybody in the café jumped as the gun was shot and Hyden's head was completely blown off into nothing but a headless body before it fell to the tile floor, slowly creating a decent puddle of blood afterwards. Tommy blew the remaining smoke off the end of the gun with confidence and without warning, he threw the gun to the floor as if he hated it.

"Damn, man!" Bobby exclaimed as he and the rest of the team emerged from their hiding place. "Glad you're outta that gang, huh?"

"Really glad, yeah." Tommy replied as he turned his attention back to his friends, preferbally Karmayah. He was glad to finally meet the man that made Ibuki feel just as good as she's feeling right now. "So, you're this Karmayah Ibuki told me about."

"That's me." Karmayah agreed as he released his shorter, but older sister before approaching Tommy face to face, except the linebacker had to look up at him slightly. "Tommy Jaymes Jones, correct?"

"Yes."

"I hear that Ibuki has already told you plenty about me."

"And how you fucked her like hell. Did you take it easy on her?"

"She told me she was raped before and I did indeed take it easy on her like she was the most priceless piece of jewelry on the planet. Once she got accustomed to my body and locked her lower lips onto my pleasure staff between my legs-"

"KARMAYAH!" Ibuki screamed with embarrassment as she just smoke bombed herself back into her matching outfit to Tommy's exact one. Karmayah never made eye contact to her, but he chuckled with a naughty tone as he shook his head with humor. "C'mon, man! Shit! Don't tell him everything!"

"What?" Tommy came in with a playful tone. Karmayah just turned his head towards Ibuki and the rest of the audience behind her. "I was listenin' to every word. I wanted to hear what you and Karmayah did."

"No! See? He didn't… he didn't need to explain nothin'!" Ibuki approached the two boys and stopped at Karmayah with a stare of complete embarrassment and sarcasm. "I oughta slap you for that."

"Go ahead." Karmayah dared with his arms crossed, completely facing the kunoichi. Ibuki just stood there with her arms crossed while she was as close to his face as she could get for someone who was only five feet and four inches tall and it was silent for the next two minutes before she pulled out a spare fingerless glove from her shirt and smacked Karmayah's face in a millisecond. His only reaction…

"You can try harder than that."

"You serious?" Ibuki asked with shock as she slowly took a few steps back in preparation for her famous neck breaker move. "Alright! Since you can withstand getting smacked, let's see if you can handle getting your neck snapped."

"Well, while you're preparing, I should let Tommy in on a little secret on how he could pleasure you in an instant without even trying." Karmayah stated with a confident look on his face. Ibuki froze at that statement, getting the hint immediately. "Shall I share it with him outloud before you snap my neck for inattention?"

"…" Ibuki didn't say a word as she just stood there with her entire face turning red with embarrassment. Bobby, Kendra, the entire football team, Don, and Snow were all staring at Ibuki, awaiting her answer. A soft sound of someone urinating was enough to convince everyone that Ibuki was a nervous wreck. Don took in the scent and squealed with disgust.

"What was that?" Kendra asked in wonder.

"Hm!" Karmayah bowed his head as he said this. "Ibuki peed on herself for her extreme nervousness."

"EWWWW!" The entire football team exclaimed. Tommy shook his head with dismay.

"Damn." Was all he could say.

Three and a half hours later, in Ibuki and Tommy's dorm room…

Tommy and Karmayah were sitting on the floor in front of the two beds, watching Don and Snow play a video game. Ibuki was in the shower, washing off her nervousness. Deep inside, Tommy wanted to laugh at what happened to Ibuki for the first time since he met her, but decided to keep the laughter in his head. He never thought Ibuki would be the nervous type when it came to embarrassing confessions. Karmayah bowed his head with a smile when he read his thoughts.

"Still laughing in your head, Tommy?" He asked smoothly. Tommy's eyes popped open with surprise before he turned his head towards the quiet former gang member. "I know it can be a shocker, but you must see the many sides of Ibuki if you want to get to know her more."

"Yeah, you right about that, man." Tommy agreed. "It's like the statement you were about to say was gonna be…"

"…Hm! Disgusting?"

"…yeah. I-i-is it?"

"Indeed, yes. While Ibuki is in the shower, I might as well tell you then. The secret to how I gave her extreme orgasms at every touch I gave her… it was not an easy assignment, first of all."

"I figured that. She looks like the type that screams your name and begs you to stop."

"Yes, but she doesn't beg me to stop on this situation. She wants me to keep going and never end it. The orgasms, however, are way too much for a fragile woman like Ibuki to handle for more than a minute."

"Whoa…"

"Would you like the hear the secret?"

"Yes, please." Tommy was determined to prepare himself to give his new girl everything he got, whether his team wins their first game or not. Karmayah chuckled at his anxiety before he cleared his throat and continued.

"Okay, here's the secret… I've shortened it down to a good abbreviation titled: GIVE."

"GIVE?"

"Yes. 'Give Ibuki Vaginal Energy'."

"…Ooooh, sounds sexy. How do you do it?"

"You listen and listen well, my friend…"

Meanwhile, in the shower…

Ibuki just finished washing her body and was just focused on her long black hair as she worked the shampoo into a fine lather. As she was washing her hair, she thought deeply about what Karmayah was about to say before she wet herself. She did remember her first time of having sex with Karmayah very well and she slowly closed her eyes and had a mental flashback.

(Flashback)

_Ibuki was exhausted from vigorious training that day and Karmayah just happened to be waiting for her outside the door. When he finally saw her walk out, she was hunched over with extreme fatigue as she was walking out, as if she was towing a huge tower of bricks. __Karmayah approached her and caught her before she collasped. She looked up at him with sorrowful brown eyes before she was slowly being lifted up in Karmayah's strong arms and she was being carried back up to her dorm room, but before he placed her down on her feet…_

"Karmayah, I may be tired from all of this training, but I'm not sleepy." _Ibuki quoted with a seductive smile. Karmayah took one good look at her as time seemed to stop around them. Ibuki's soft skin glowed with luminescence while her eyes were covered with a glossy shine, keeping her naughty, seductive smile in perfect harmony. Karmayah's sea green eyes were just as glossy as he showed a handsome smile. He opened his mouth as he tried to say something, but Ibuki shushed him by gently placing a finger over his lips._ "Shhhh. Don't say anything to me. Just carry me to your room and I'll show you what I mean, baby."

_Karmayah still remained quiet as he continued on to his dorm room and kicked it open before he stepped inside and closed the door with the same foot. He gently placed Ibuki down on his fee__t and turned back to the door to lock it. When he turned back around to face Ibuki, she immediately leaped up to grab his strong neck before she gave him a passionate kiss on the mouth, completely knocking Karmayah off guard. He eventually gave in to the kiss and mesmerized her by letting his tongue travel all around her mouth, tasting every last inch of her and this sent chills up the young kunoichi's spine as she moaned with appreciation. _

_The kiss lasted for a good three minutes before Ibuki ended it slowly and wrapped her legs around his waist as she continued to hold on to his neck, keeping her sexy smile in check as she spoke. _

"Niiiiice." _She commented._ "But, I still want more."

"How much more?" _Karmayah dared to ask. Ibuki giggled as she gently stroked his left cheek._

"So much more."

"You got it."

_Done with talking, Karmayah obeyed her as he gently placed her back down on her feet and his huge hands __were very careful as he slowly untied the belt to her ninja dogi and allowed her to pull down her pants before she took off her top and undershirt, showing her beautiful breasts to him for the first time. Karmayah smiled with passion as he admired her for a moment while Ibuki allowed her underwear to fall to her feet and she was completely naked before him before she took off her headwrap and sat down on the bed, waiting for him to show off his sexy body. _

_Karmayah didn't miss a beat as he took off his white t-shirt and his brown khakis before he revealed himself in nothing but his boxers. Ibuki purred on the inside as she scanned his diesel muscles, but before she could get a good look at his crotch, he moved closer to her and gave her another soft kiss on her mouth. A few seconds later, Ibuki gently pushed him off of her soft lips and kept her soft grip on the sides of his face before she forced him down to her wet pussy. Karmayah got the hint immediately before he started to gently kiss those wet, clean-shaven lips before him and that sent her moaning with extreme lust as she spreaded her legs out a little wider in response to his marverlous tongue playing all around her vaginal walls. _

"Aaaaahhhh, yeaaaaahhh!" _Ibuki groaned with pleasure as she held Karmayah's head closer to her hot wet lips. _"Pleeeeease… don't stop! Taste me! FUCK ME! AAAAAHHHHH! MAKE ME YOURS! YAAAAAAAHAAAAA!"

_Karmayah wasn't one to disappoint his girl as he continued to give her pussy some really good licks. When Ibuki felt her orgasm was peeking, she never released his head and held him even closer, offering more of herself in the process. Karmayah took in every last effort to satisfy his woman and kept her legs spread apart when he felt that she was about to close them out of desperation. This sent carnal flashes before Ibuki's eyes as she was tearing up and her tears were leaking out of her beautiful brown eyes with extreme lust as she closed them and managed to gasp, but she couldn't let out a scream. She was literally breathless as she was so close and yet…_

…_Karmayah stopped in a second! This shocked the kunoichi as she looked down at him with tears still pouring out of her lustful eyes. _

"NO!" _Ibuki screamed with anger. _"Why the FUCK did you stop? I was so clo-ho-ho-ho-hose!"

"If you want me, you have to go by my rules." _Karmayah replied smoothly as he picked her up by her arms, turned her around, and threw her back on the bed, making her land on her face first right into a pillow. Ibuki was about to look behind her, but Karmayah forced her face back to the pillow with one strong bang on the bed by one of his fists. _"No peeking, Ibuki-chan. That would be considered cheating." _Ibuki was at wit's end at this point as she was just staring into a pillow with a look of confusion. Unbeknownst to her, however, Karmayah slowly took off his boxers to reveal his ten inch long and two inch wide dick, already standing at attention and ready to satisfy his woman. As soon as he gently placed on his condom, he weighed down the bed as he crawled on and stood on his knees for a moment as he slowly grabbed Ibuki's hips and lifted her ass up to meet his hips and this got Ibuki drooling on the inside as she prepared for the worst. She teared up again, hugged the pillow with all her might, closed her eyes, and in no time…_

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" _Ibuki screamed at her loudest as Karmayah's massive dick rammed into her in one violent thrust. As he was continuing his pumping session, he slowly leaned down towards Ibuki's sweaty face and whispered into her ear: _

"You say you want me… you say you want me to take you… fuck you… make you mine… but I'm not going to _make _anything. I'm going to GIVE you… everything I got and do whatever it takes… to GIVE my love to you. You can beg… scream… and cower all you want, but I… will…" _Karmayah paused as he did one extremely hard thrust into her and she gasped with barely any breath to release afterwards before Karmayah finished. _"…always… prosper. So… get ready… for my GIVE."

_After that was said, Ibuki continued to cry and moan with extreme desparation while Karmayah continued to thrust inside of her.__ After about four more minutes, Karmayah finally did what he promised. He slowly reached one hand down to her dripping pussy and found her clit in no time before he pressed on it cruelly, making the sweet girl underneath him gasp once more with her hips bucking up to him at their own accord. After five seconds, the gentle albino giant used that very same finger and rubbed that clit as hard and fast as he can all while he was thusting inside of her simultaneously. That did it! Ibuki didn't know how much more of this she could take as she rode through her most intense orgasm ever. Upon seeing her small body react to the orgasm with so much force, Karmayah slowly pulled himself out of her and removed his professional pointer finger from Ibuki's clit before he slowly flipped her over, held her arms down while she was still vigoriously shaking like a leaf in the blinding wind of a hurricane, and leaned in for another soft kiss. _

_Ibuki couldn't believe that she was getting this much torchure from him in less than an hour! She reluctantly gave in to the kiss, even though she was still riding her extreme orgasmic roller coaster. Karmayah wasn't finished yet. He used a free hand to continue her gently massage to her sensitive clit and her body, her senses, and her instincts were complete shut down as she felt nothing but pure pleasure all over every inch of her body, including her fingers and toes. Her entire body just went completely insane for the next two and a half hours, even after Karmayah ended the kiss. His finger never moved away from the kunoichi's clit at all and her delecate hands clawed at his neck with extreme desperation as she continued to scream, moan, and just curse at him for being so giving towards her. _

(End flashback)

Ibuki forced her eyes open from her little day dream and saw that she was frozen between washing her hair and being ready to rinse as one hand was on her head while the other was holding the shower head, ready to rinse. She snapped out of it before she resumed what she was doing with a passionate smile. That flashback was one she never wanted to forget. With that being the case, this left her wondering…

"Why did I piss on myself?" She asked herself as she just finished rinsing the shampoo bubbles off of her head and turned off the water. She then shook her head with humor as she stepped out. She nearly fell back into the tub when she saw: "Karmayah? Geez! Don't scare me like that. Knock first!"

"Forgive me for the intrusion, but I couldn't help but be so curious as to why you were at a stand-still for a little while." Karmayah said politely. "Was there something on your mind, Ibuki-chan?"

"I was just thinking. Before I get to that, though, what did you tell Tommy?"

"I told him what I meant by GIVE."

"Oooh, yeah. Just as I thought. Now you're giving him ideas. Damn you, Kar."

"I mean no disrespect. The man wanted to know how to pleasure his woman and I helped him through word of mouth. Now, he experiences this for himself physically on you once his team's first game is over."

"Did you keep it brief, then?"

"Somewhat, yes."

"Aw, man."

"Don't worry. I told him to go easy on you, just as I did to you back then."

"He better… 'cause if he doesn't…"

"You can blame me all you want. I won't feel so bad."

"Glad we made an agreement. But, I want Tommy to do me his way. Judging by the way he touched me last night, it seems like he'll be more of a rebel in bed than he might be on the field."

"Well, we'll see tomorrow evening, won't we?"

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Airport Terminal…

Sasha and her best friend, KaTima, just made it down a set of escalators and was heading towards the exit to a bright blue Ridgeline. Sasha was a young African American girl that was about two inches taller than Ibuki with long light brown hair that stopped right at the middle of her back. She also had hazel green eyes. KaTima looked no different in the race, but her eyes were light brown, her short hair was black, and she was right at the same height as Sasha. When they both got to the big blue pick-up truck that was driven by a valet, Sasha thanked him with a quick tip of thirty dollars before she got in the driver's side while KaTima went into the passenger side, both of them buckled up, and Sasha headed straight for Sarusuberi to see Tommy and his team play at his first game there.

"Sasha-girl, do ya think Tommy will recongnize ya?" KaTima asked in a Southern accent that was just as authentic as Sasha's.

"Yeah, of course. He may be sayin' all this shit about me cheatin' on him, but it ain't true. Donavan is just a friend." Sasha replied with confidence. "I just hope Ibuki stays out of his face. If she happens to get as close to his lips as, like, a centimeter away, then KaTima… it is on, girl! Ibuki ain't gonna be on nobody's scene once I'm through with 'er!"

"I don't know about that, girl. She is a ninja, ya know."

"I don't give a fuck! Ninja or not, Ibuki's ass is gonna get kicked!"

"Okay. Don't expect me ta say I told ya so, then."

The next night…

Over four-hundred thousand people attended Sarusuberi's first football game in its history. Johnnie just happened to be part of the huge number of people, sitting in the second to front row next to Snow, who was on a leash, just in case. Karmayah was sitting on the opposite side of Snow. Ibuki, Don, and the rest of the Sarusuberi Tanuki team was sitting in the sidelines right below the two, awaiting their opposing team, the Nagasaki Tigers. Broderick was standing in front of all of them with a confident look on his face as he looked out into the football field and the crowd, ready for the game.

"Nervous, Coach?" Brutus dared to ask. Broderick turned around to face his team with a serious look on his face.

"Do I look nervous?" He asked him in return with anger. Brutus blushed as he slouched with fear. "I thought so. I'm so ready fo' dis game. Dose tigas are goin' down hard! Ibuki, yo' only job out here is ta keep Don here on the side. Don't let him interfere."

"You got it!" Ibuki replied with a smile.

"Tommy, is da playbook ready?"

"All set, Coach." Tommy replied with a smile. "Those Tigers will never know what hit 'em."

"Dere ya go! We've practiced long and hard for this game. Now let's make it worth while."

Five minutes later…

The game was underway as the Tigers just began the kickoff and Bobby caught that ball perfectly before he dashed forward with a high speed that nobody could ever imagine! After doing three successful spins and two beautiful hurdles, Bobby was finally tackled at the 35 yard line.

On the sidelines, Ibuki and Tommy were sitting close to each other, having Don at their feet. She was impressed by Bobby's skills and decided to make that a good conversation.

"Has Bobby always been this good?" Ibuki dared to ask. Tommy chuckled as he looked down at his girl with his most handsome smile imaginable.

"Always, baby." He replied. "He's never backed down from any challenges, neither."

"I can tell… and judging by your practices, you do pretty good, too. Do they actually penalize players who grab you by your hair?"

"Yeah. It's too delicate to mess with."

"Heh, heh. I can tell! Say… Tommy?"

"Yeah, baby girl?"

"Did Karmayah really tell you about that GIVE thing?"

"Every last detail of it… and personally… I can't wait to do it on you."

"I know you can't. Whether you win this game or not, I'll be sure you'll get the star treatment you've always wanted."

"Thanks, Ibuki."

"No problem. I love you, Tommy."

"I love you, too, Sexy-buki." After that last statement, Ibuki gently laid her head on his shoulder-padded arm for comfort as they and the rest of the defensive line watched the game.

Thirty minutes later, at halftime…

"Good game, fellas! Good game so far!" Broderick congradulated. "Da game is at a great sco' of 77 ta 16. We're whoopin' 'em!"

"All thanks to me, of course!" Bobby agreed with confidence. "I was a speed demon out there, wasn't I?"

"As always, Bobby! Don, you really puzzled their mascot out there before halftime started! Ibuki, where did ya get dis guy?"

"Literally, I don't know." Ibuki replied with a shoulder shrug. "But, that don't matter. He's just a great team player and that's all that matters."

"Fine words, my lady. How was it like watchin' Tommy out on the field, eh? We're ya droolin'?"

"A little." Ibuki blushed at that statement as she slowly turned away with a shy smile. This made the other teammates, except Tommy, jeer with humor. Tommy just blushed while he held her hand gently. "What else could I do, guys? Tommy just looked so… mmm!"

"Uh, huh. Just as I suspected! Well, keep yaself sittin' fo' da last two quarters, okay? I have a strange feelin' that some tingling's gonna happen somewhere on yo' body… I'm… not gonna say where because it's quite obvious."

"COACH!" Tommy exclaimed with concern. "Don't tempt her!"

"WHAT? Just makin' a warnin' statement!"

"It's okay, Tommy. I'm not tempted at all." Ibuki reassured with confidence.

Ten minutes later, back on the sidelines with the offense…

"Ooooooh, okay! NOW, I'm tempted!" Ibuki exclaimed as she leaned back on the bench and crossed her legs in high anticipation. Don was forced off of her lap just seconds before and he tried to help her maintain herself by holding her by her ponytail. Ibuki continued to watch her boyfriend play his best out there, keeping the opposing team from getting to the endzone. When she saw how hard the tackle was for the Tigers' quarterback, forcing a sack, that got Ibuki's senses to go completely crazy at this point. "Whoo! Damn, he just looks so good out there! All that hair he has makes it seem like he has a hero's cape! You get 'em, baby!"

Out in the field…

While Brutus was planning the next play in the huddle, Tommy snuck a good look at Ibuki on the sidelines. He nearly chuckled at how hard her legs were crossed. He saw her head just leaned back in desperation and that gave him an idea.

"Yo, yo! Guys!" Tommy came in, interrupting Brutus. "Check out Ibuki over there." The guys did so and nearly chuckled. "She really wants some."

"No kiddin'." Brutus agreed. "Maybe ya should… ya know… give her some."

"Now don't you tempt me! It's only the third quarter, fellas. It'll all go by so quick, Ibuki won't see it coming."

"Heh, heh… yeah… until she wets herself again."

"Stop!"

"My bad."

"Listen, ya'll. I care about this girl, a'ight? It's only for her own safety on this one. She'll get some after the game, whether we win or not. She just has to hang in there. Don's got her."

Back on the sidelines…

"Keep holding me, Don!" Ibuki begged as she just about to dash out to the field, but the tanuki quickly pulled her back by her ponytail. "After what Karmayah told me, I am so ready for him. He's probably some kinda huge down there."

"Ibuki!" Bobby just came out of the locker room and saw what was happening. "What the hell…?"

"Bobby, I can't wait any longer! I want Tommy so bad right now!"

"I know you do, but we have one more quarter to go through after this. This game is pretty much one-sided anyway."

"Damn it! Don't you think I know that?"

"Just… chill out, girl."

Meanwhile, in the audience…

Sasha and KaTima just got to their seats in the very front near the Sarusuberi sidelines. Johnnie was the only one who recongized her and gasped as quietly as he could, but Karmayah still caught it.

"What's wrong, Johnnie?" He asked him with concern.

"That's Sasha, Tommy's old girlfriend." Johnnie whispered. "What the fuck is she doin' here?"

"Why'd you ask?"

"You don't know 'er, do ya? She's this bitch that Tommy's been trying to leave fo' a while now. He finally gathered the guts to tell her this, but fo' some damn reason, Sasha just won't leave my son alone!"

"Harsh. Does she know about Tommy's relationship with Ibuki?"

"I doubt it, but if she does, then she's in fo' a ruuuuuude awakenin'. I have a feelin' a bitch fight will happen sometime tonight or tomorrow."

"I'm sure Ibuki will defeat her in no time, no matter when the event happens."

"HA! Ya gots dat right, boy!"

As for Sasha…

"Awww, there he is!" Sasha exclaimed, pointing out Tommy in the field, who tackled the quarterback again. "Damn, he's hot out on dat field! That's the only reason why I love him so much!"

"Yeah, I can see that." KaTima agreed. "Check out the score. 77 to 16? Wow! You were right!"

"Told ya! Tommy's runnin' thangs out there!" As soon as Sasha took her seat, she instantly frowned when she spotted Ibuki on the sidelines. She just calmed down from her little tingles and allowed Don to massage her shoulders to help ease the urge. "Ohhh, this must be this Ibuki bitch Tommy told me about. Humph! I've seen badder girls back at high school." Ibuki's senses caught that statement and jumped with shock. KaTima saw this and ducked quickly with wide eyes. This puzzled Sasha as she looked down at her. "KaTima, what are you doin', girl?"

"I think Ibuki heard ya."

"Yeah, right like she could-"

"You got somethin' to say to me, you better say it to my face!" Ibuki threatened as she just got in Sasha's face by holding herself up on the boundary wall with her strong, but slender arms. "Say it again, bitch. I dare ya."

"Girl, you don't scare me."

"Good, because I sure can kill you." Ibuki snuck a hand behind her and found her kunai handle out of one of her back pockets of her jeans. "Don't make me do it."

"I hear Tommy loves you now."

"Yeah. If you don't like it, then you can kiss my pussy."

"Ta, ha! Wow! Ibuki… on my scene… sayin' this bullshit to me! Listen. Tommy will always be my man, no matter what he says. I know he still loves me."

"Not according to what he's been saying. He dumped you days ago and now, he's with me. We share the same pain when it comes to being raised by someone. I am an orphan legally, ya know."

"Like I gave a damn!"

"WHAT?" Ibuki screamed as she leaped over the wall, held Sasha in a stong chokehold, and held her kunai to her throat in a threatening jesture, making most of the audience surrounding them, including Johnnie, Snow, and Karmayah, gasp with horror. "SAY THAT AGAIN, BITCH! SAY IT AGAIN! I'LL SLIT YOUR THROAT BEFORE YOU CAN!"

"Awww, is the wittle ninja girl getting upset? Mad because you can't have your man?"

"STOP IT! TOMMY HATES YOU!"

"…" That made Sasha's eyes grow wide with fear before she forcefully elbowed the kunoichi in the stomach and she was released. "…YOU'RE LYING!"

"Nope, ninjas never lie. He said so himself and I can prove it after the game."

"Over my dead body!"

Ibuki growled deep within her throat with anger as she just gave Sasha a cold stare for the next ten seconds before she placed her kunai away and headed back for the sidelines.

"That can be arranged, then." Ibuki finally said as she landed back down on the benches and took her seat between Bobby and Don. Sasha plopped down in her chair and crossed her arms with anger.

"Bitch…" She muttered. Ibuki heard her again and she showed her middle finger at her in a threatening jesture and that made Tommy's ex get steaming mad on the inside as she remained quiet for the rest of the game.

29 minutes later, just seconds before the fourth quarter was ending…

The Sarusuberi Athletics Department approached Broderick from the entrance to the stadium to congradulate the team on their first victory.

"Excellent game, Broderick!" The head of the department, Wilson Garusom, commented. "You've given this University a chance to shine on a different prospective."

"Thank ya much!" Broderick replied with confidence. "Thems my boys fo' ya."

"One question, though…" 

"Okay."

"Why name your team the Tanukis?"

"Her." Broderick paused as he pointed his thumb to Ibuki, who just gave Tommy a loving hug. "Miss Ibuki-On-The-Scene."

"Ohhh, I see. Well, I can see another reason why. Is that Don?"

"Yep. He's officially our mascot."

"Huh! Well, the Dean just announced that Don will be allowed the stay on campus with Ibuki… and not just because of the games."

"YES! I knew he would agree! He was a bit of a skeptic, but… I knew we could convince him."

"Congradulations, Broderick. You and your team may celebrate how ever you wish."

"Thanks, Wilson!"

Up in the audience…

Sasha watched the celebration in complete anger when she saw Ibuki and Tommy smothering their mouths for a kiss unlike any other they've had before. KaTima gasped with shock as she saw this herself.

"I guess Ibuki was right." She muttered. "Tommy did dump ya, girl. He wouldn't be kissin' her if he was still with you."

"Why that lil'…!" Sasha muttered with extreme anger. "Ibuki is so dead when I get to her tomorrow! She'll regret this! I swear it!"

To be continued…


	7. Operation GIVE: Tommy Style

Chapter 7: Operation G.I.V.E. – Tommy Style

(I should warn ya'll before you read. Prepare for some pure lemony goodness in this chapter. Reader discretion is advised. Enjoy!)

A pretty one-sided first football game for Sarusuberi was not only quick and painless, but it was also the mark of some more to come for the team and the campus. On top of all that, Ibuki's encounter with Sasha never left her mouth until she was ready to tell Tommy. How the team managed not to see that event earlier was shocking to her, but then again, it was a good thing that they never saw it. All that mattered right now… was Ibuki and Tommy finally ready to 'get some' for the first time since they met.

Just minutes after the entire campus celebrated their Tanukis' first football victory on the field, the team just busted into the locker room with Tommy leading the way with Ibuki being carried in his super strong and extremely diesel arms. The rest of the team came in after him, just cheering, giving each other man hugs, high-fives, and even giving each other noogies as various signs of celebration for their first win ever for Sarusuberi. Tommy just calmly sat down at an empty bench with Ibuki in his lap before they went for another delicious tongue-lashing kiss with Ibuki's slender hands slowly creeping their way into the linebacker's jersey, feeling his rock-solid muscles, which were drenched with sweet sweat. She kept calm on the outside throughout the kiss, but her constant urge for some hot sex with this gentle giant was boiling like lava inside of her. Tommy felt her urge brewing inside, but kept it to himself until the two were alone.

Five minutes of more celebrating went by before Broderick finally whistled for everyone to get quiet, including Tommy and Ibuki immediately stopping their kiss for a quick second.

"Ya'll haven't changed at all since ya'll graduated from high school!" Broderick started with a proud smile. "Can't a coach ask fo' mo' than that?"

"Sir, no sir!" All of the football players chanted in unison, including Tommy.

"I thought so. This game was, by far, da best I've seen since I started coachin' and I'm just so proud of ya! Free rounds on me!" This got the whole team cheering, except Tommy. Broderick noticed. "Got plans, eh, Tommy?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied with a passionate smile. "I… uh… promised Sexy-buki here some good lovin' tonight… whether we won or not. We've been dating for almost a week now. She deserves it."

"Ohhh, I see. Ibuki, you do know Tommy's a virgin, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Ibuki replied. "I'll be sure to take it easy on him until he gets used to it."

"Good… and Tommy?"

"I know, I know." Tommy replied. "Take it easy on her."

"Yeah, ya feel me. Well, I'll leave this locker room to ya, then. Ya'll play nice now, here?" After that was said, Broderick and the rest of the team were on their way out of the locker room, but when Bobby was about to reach the door, Tommy called out to him.

"YO!" Tommy called out. Bobby stopped right when he grabbed the doorknob and just stared at the door at attention. "Wanna keep us company?"

"Excuse me?" Bobby exclaimed with shock and disgust. "You done lost yo' mind, Tommy! What makes you think I wanna stay here and watch ya fuck each other?"

"Do you have your digital camcorder on you?"

"Yeah, wh…" Bobby paused when he saw those horny smiles on Ibuki and Tommy's faces and immediately got the hint. "…ohhhh, I see. Ya'll want to me to record ya doin' it, right?"

"Since it's my first, I wanna make it special."

"You got it… and it's in 1080p high definition!"

"Shit, man. Where did you get that camera?"

"I ain't tellin'!"

"Damn you…"

"Tommy?" Ibuki came in with a calm tone in her adorable voice.

"Yeah, baby?"

"Sasha's here."

"…!" Tommy couldn't believe what he just heard and nearly fell over, but he maintained his balance as Ibuki continued.

"She isn't here in this locker room, but she is here on this campus. I had a close encounter with her in the bleachers during the game. She is pretty, but you were right about her being a total bitch."

"Was she fearless on the face?"

"Yep!"

"Yeah, that's Sasha. She never backs down from a challenge. Did you hurt her?"

"No, but I was going to. Did you… want me to kill her?"

"Naw, naw! Don't kill her just yet. Let her approach us sometime tomorrow. We'll see what her next move will be."

"Okay. In the meantime…" Ibuki paused as she slowly got off of Tommy's lap and prepared her hands to take off her tank top. "…are you ready to take me on?"

"Damn." Bobby muttered with excitement as he quickly pulled out his HD camera and started recording the action. Don, Snow, Karmayah, and Johnnie just walked in, but didn't say a word, thanks to Karmayah's silent signal as they walked back out to follow the football team to the bar. Don and Snow stayed by the door and laid down like good pets, keeping quiet the whole time. "Ibuki is so ready for ya, man."

"I had a feelin' she was." Tommy agreed as he leaned back and prepared for the entertainment. "How long have you had this urge, Ibuki-baby?"

"Since I first saw you with your shirt off last week." Ibuki replied with a smile.

"Whoa! You ARE ready for some."

"Are you gonna use Karmayah's GIVE technique?"

"I'll… uh… squeeze that in there somehow."

"Good." After that was said, Ibuki finally slipped out of her tank top and showed off her beautiful C-cup sized breasts, keeping her focus on Tommy as she threw the shirt to her left, missing Don and Snow by a few feet. Tommy just sat there with a horny smile on his face and admired her for a few moments. Just seeing her glowing smooth skin was already making his package prepare itself for delivery in his pants. Ibuki saw how desperate he was and she slowly approached him before she sat back on his lap, wrapping her clothed legs around him, before she grabbed the bottom of his jersey and slowly started to lift it up, but Tommy stopped her by gently grabbing her right wrist. "Tee, hee. I thought you were ready."

"I am." Tommy admitted. "But, I wanna undress myself, baby girl. I still got my shoulder pads on."

"Oh, okay." Ibuki still remained in his lap with her legs wrapped around the linebacker's waist, but gave him a little space to take off his jersey. Tommy took his time, due to the fact that the shoulder pads were literally trying so hard to keep him from taking it off. After a minute of trying, Tommy was finally able to free himself from his shirt before he easily slipped off the shoulder pads. Ibuki got a good look at his impressive muscles again and she was just drooling on the inside. "There ya go. Feel better?"

"Much better, baby." Tommy remained silent after that statement and gently took a soft hold on Ibuki's hips before she slowly leaned her face into Tommy's neck and she started tasting his sweet sweat. The linebacker didn't flinch nor cower at the young kunoichi's soft kisses on his neck. He just sat there and smiled at the camera Bobby was holding while he started a massage on Ibuki's ass, playing with her little tanuki tail accessory every now and then, making her moan with appreciation as she responded to the touch by slowly humping him right at his hips.

"You doin' a'ight, man?" Bobby asked his childhood friend. Tommy nodded slowly, so he wouldn't disturb his lover tasting every ounce of sweat on his neck. "Are you nervous about the main course?"

"A little, yeah." Tommy confessed. "Since Ibuki's already had a good experience with this, I expect her to talk me into it."

"Of course, she will. She's been goin' crazy on the sidelines during the game, man!"

"Yeah, and that's a sign."

"You take it easy then, a'ight, man? I don't want ya to rush into it so hard."

"I'll be fine." After that short interview, Ibuki gave Tommy's neck one more good lick before she focused on his face, still lightly humping him with his sexy massage on her ass. "Damn, girl. You want it that bad, huh?"

"You read me like a book, Tommy." Ibuki replied with a seductive smile before she pulled him down towards her for another delicious kiss, heightening her humping speed. This lasted for the next five minutes before Ibuki's crotch started talking to itself, giving her a sensational tingle that sent her senses going insane as she screamed with passion. "Aaaaahhh! Shit, Tommy. I can't procrastinate any longer! I have to have you in me right now."

"Well, I am in need of a shower."

"No…"

"What?"

"Don't. You're already smothered in that sweet sweaty glaze of yours. I wanna taste it all. So, uh…" Ibuki slowly stood up and gently grabbed his shoulders before she gently pushed him down to where he laid on his back on the bench. Ibuki then approached his feet and got on her hands and knees on the bench just before them before she started crawling towards him, keeping her sexy smile in check with her brown eyes glistening with lust. Tommy kept his focus on her gorgeous body, anxiously waiting to break his virginity any moment now. Ibuki stopped her crawling right when her slender hands were perched on his hard pecs. They stared into each other's eyes for a minute before Ibuki lowered herself down, right in between those pecs before she continued her sweat licking session. This time, Tommy felt sensational chills all over where Ibuki's tongue went. When she gave one of his pecs a good kiss right on the nipple, Tommy groaned with ecstasy as he leaned his head back and his huge arms went limp in surrender.

Ibuki giggled in between her mesmerizing licks. Seeing this big, strong man succumb to a woman's touch like this was making her feel good about herself. Spending time with Karmayah was a great advantage for her when it came to teasing a man. Bobby couldn't believe his eyes as he was still recording the action.

"Holy shit, dude." He whispered. "This is unbelievable, ya'll! Compared to Ibuki, Tommy is huge, but her touches are turnin' him into a wimp! This is a first for Tommy alright. I thought he could handle somethin' like this, but I guess big men can punk out to a woman's touch, too."

Back on the bench, Ibuki's tongue made its journey onto Tommy's abs, where the sweat made most of the glaze covering. Tommy was starting to leak tears out of his bright green eyes at this point because he was just too weak to add pleasure to Ibuki and he really wanted to give her a taste of her own medicine. Ibuki never noticed the tears as she continued her tasty expedition all over his body. After about three minutes, Tommy finally gathered the strength to reach into his gym bag that just happened to lay right next to him and carefully rummaged through it until he came across a medium sized spray bottle and slowly pulled it out, keeping it hidden in his hand until Ibuki finally finished her licking. After about two more minutes, Ibuki finally finished and was about to loosen his belt before Tommy pulled out the same bottle and held it up for her to see. This made her pause with curiosity.

"What's this now?" Ibuki asked playfully. Tommy nodded with satisfaction, finally able to get her attention.

"This is our ignition, Sexy-buki." Tommy replied. "It's the same product my parents tried out before they decided to do it to create me. What I can't believe about this thing, though, is the fact that they still make this."

"What is it?" Ibuki crawled back up to him, still keeping her curious face in check. Tommy remained silent as he handed her the bottle and she read the label. "'Passion Dragon'?"

"Yeah. It's a spray-on… condom."

"…What? Are… are you serious? A spray-on condom?"

"Yeah, I'm dead serious. There aren't too many different varieties of them out there and this one in particular just happens to be the most effective."

"That's awesome!"

"Keep reading."

"Okay. 'Endure the most passionate sex in your life with Passion Dragon. It's scientifically formulated to have just the same protective effect as a normal condom, but with an enhancer that gives both partners insane sensations throughout the entire moment. Just spray this on to the private areas of the male partner and you will start to feel like you're in heaven.' Whoa! At this point, it seems like you're more anxious about this than me."

"I just felt your tits rub against my body while you were lickin' me! Of course, I'm anxious, Sexy-buki. You say you want me in you, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, move… and give me that bottle." Ibuki obeyed both commands quickly as she stood up and allowed Tommy to sit up before he started to take off his pants. Ibuki decided to follow suit in taking off her pants after watching him for about fifteen seconds. While they were undressing, Bobby decided to ask them the big question.

"Tommy… Ibuki… are ya'll really sure about this? I mean, doin' it here in the locker room?" Bobby asked.

"Why'd you ask, man?" Tommy asked his friend. "We're keepin' it on the bench."

"Yeah, but I mean… what if you… ya know…"

"Snow will clean it up."

"Huh?" Snow growled in the distance. This surprised the two lovers as they turned towards the two animals just laying there like good pets. Tommy nodded in response and this made the giant pure white lizard growl with sadness and humor all at once.

"Don't mope about it, Snow. You'll be okay. You don't even have to use your mouth."

"Whew."

"I hope not." Bobby agreed. "Judgin' by that Passion Dragon stuff, ya'll are gonna be in the zone once you start."

"You got that right." Ibuki agreed as she just pulled down her jeans and underwear, leaving her completely naked before her boyfriend, who just got in the nude as well, exposing his huge dick to her for the first time. Ibuki gasped softly as she took a good look at it, just imagining how that would feel inside of her. She measured it to be about a good ten inches long and one and a half inches thick and it was just the size she hoped for. Tommy noticed her lustful stare and chuckled.

"Like what you see, baby?" Tommy dared to ask, purposely spreading his legs out a little more, offering more for the kunoichi to see. Ibuki gasped even harder and louder when she took a good look at his balls as well. Tommy chuckled again with confidence as he slowly leaned back until his back was flat on the bench. Ibuki snapped herself out of it after about a minute and approached him with a passionate smile before she got on top of him, propping herself up with her hands on his shoulders, allowing the linebacker to spray on his condom as he kept his eyes on hers. "I figured you would drool over me, even though this soldier hasn't met enemy lines yet."

"Well, it's about to." Ibuki replied, keeping herself propped up until Tommy was ready. "Just say the word… and I'll give you that star treatment I promised you."

"That's what I like to hear, baby." Tommy just finished applying his condom after he said this and gently grabbed Ibuki's hips, ready for some love for the first time. "I'm ready when you are."

"I should warn ya, then… It's gonna feel a little funny for a while."

"I'm willing to take thaaaa-haaaa… fuck!" Ibuki wasted no time in slowly easing her wet pussy lips around Tommy's huge dick. She gasped with passion herself, feeling how big he actually was. Tommy cringed with a little first time pain of his virginity being broken, despite the condom offering passionate protection. Ibuki never cringed at all, but she felt bad about seeing her boyfriend like this and decided to slow down her speed, allowing him to take it all in. "Aaaaaahh, damn! This… this fee… feels so… oooooooh."

"Take your time, baby." Ibuki encouraged as she was taking her sweet slow time grinding on his magic stick. She moaned with passion as she started to feel the sensations from the condom, leaning her head back with lust. After about five minutes, Tommy's pain soon turned into pleasure and, to show that, he sat up slowly before he held Ibuki close to him with one arm as he flipped over, making her lay on her back and this shocked her for a moment. "Whoa! Tommy, that was fast! You must've-aaaaaaahhh, ohhhhhh! Yeah! Oooooh, yeah, Tommy. Don't you stop!"

"I ain't plannin' on stoppin' anyway." Tommy replied as he held himself up on the bench, past Ibuki's shoulders, while he continued to pump inside of her with every last bit of his strength. Ibuki gasped and moaned alternatively between thrusts while she grabbed the side of the bench that wasn't near the lockers out of desperation while her hips bucked back at him in the same exact rhythm. Tommy enjoyed his first sex ride with confidence, showing it with a smile.

After a good seven minutes, Ibuki was getting close already and she screamed with extreme lust as she desperately held on to Tommy's shoulders and her hips went faster and faster with each rising moment, but it soon turned into déjà vu for her as she got so close…

…but Tommy stopped. Ibuki started to cry out with anxiety as she tried to force him to continue, but Tommy kept his naughty smile as he stopped her from doing so and this sent her going insane.

"What the fuck, Tommy?" Ibuki screamed with anger. "Don't tease me like Karmayah did! Plee-hee-hee-heease!"

"Sorry, Sexy-buki… but what he said to me… I'm gonna follow." Tommy protested smoothly, keeping his naughty smile in tact. "Now, let's see how sensitive that clit really is."

"Oh, no… no-no… no-no-no… YAAAAAAA-HAAAAAA! FUCK!" Ibuki felt Tommy's first two fingers press down right on her clit like it was a start button and she immediately started to cum in a matter of seconds, dreadfully trying to hold on to her senses as well as her consciousness. Tommy took a good look at her while she was riding through her most intense orgasm imaginable for the second time and he just smiled with all the love in his heart.

_Awww, look at her. _His voice spoke in his head. _Ibuki's just too cute, moaning and taking it all in like a woman… all in this moment. It's hard to do this with my eyes closed. I just love seeing her adorable ass. Speakin' of her ass…_

"Ibuki?" Tommy came in after the slowest ten minutes of pleasuring his girl, who was just squirting her juices out at him right when he just pulled himself out. "Want me to taste that ass of yours?"

"Aaaaaahhhhh… yeah… I want you to." Ibuki managed to reply, still shaking like a leaf desperately holding on to a branch in a hurricane. "Ohhhhh! Please… don't leave me… ooooooh, fuck… hanging."

"That's what I like to hear." Tommy wasted no time in flipping her over to lying on her stomach. He gave her some time to calm down before she looked up at him in a sexy side-glance from where she laid before she raised her bare ass up to him and prepared herself for the most insane ride of her life. Tommy leaned in towards her dripping pussy and engulfed his tongue right in, sending her hips grinding right on his face in reflexive response. Tommy moaned within the wet kiss and reached one hand down to her breasts and started teasing her by gently massaging her nipples, giving her more orgasmic pleasure than ever before!

In Bobby's point of view, he was just enjoying this moment, maintaining his HD camera in his hand. He couldn't believe his best friend wanted this so bad and he is showing it very well. He knew the gentle giant had excellent instincts and a naughty side, but he didn't expect him to go too far. He didn't mind it, though. All that mattered was that Tommy was finally having sex for the first time and, mixing that in with Ibuki's desperation, it was hotter than ever.

Back on the bench, Tommy continued to thrust in and out of Ibuki's love tunnel and her alternate moans and groans were perfect signs of how much she was enjoying this session with her new man. While the linebacker was still turning her on from behind, Ibuki managed to gain enough strength to slowly prop herself up on her hands and knees, giving Tommy more space for his hands to roam all over her breasts. He smiled with appreciation as he continued to pump inside of her like a machine.

A good ten minutes went by and Ibuki was getting close once again as she heightened her humping back at him in reflexive response. Tommy loved this feeling of her smooth booty rubbing up against him at every move with his hips, but after five minutes, he decided to support her anyway he could when her peak came. He used the same free hand that was on her breasts and stopped the massage to get a gentle grip on her chest before he slowly lifted her up to where she was standing on her knees, but by the time she was standing up straight, Ibuki immediately forced herself out of Tommy's grip and stopped her grinding for a moment while she slowly flipped herself around, still keeping the gentle giant's pleasure staff inside of her wet pussy lips.

"Oh… Oh-God, Tommy!" Ibuki managed to say between breaths. "I… ooooh… I appreciate the-uuhhh… the support… but I… I… AAAAHHHH!" Ibuki paused as she reached up to grab Tommy's shoulders and just held on to him for support, making herself bounce on his dick with her smooth legs wrapped around his waist. "…I just wanna… ohhhh, haaaa... ride you!"

"I know you do, Sexy-buki." Tommy replied as he quickened his speed, literally making her bounce on him. Ibuki's orgasm was finally reaching its peak and she leaned her head back with ecstasy as she screamed at the very top of her lungs when she finally got it and her body just went completely insane. Tommy held her tight around her back as she was shaking vigorously, riding her orgasmic roller coaster like a champ, before the linebacker managed to sit down on the bench, facing his childhood friend and his camera. Ibuki finally calmed down after a slow and satisfying fifteen minutes of her lustful roller coaster ride of sexual pleasure, but alas! She was not done yet! Tommy sensed this as he slowly pulled out of her and slowly leaned back against the lockers with a seductive smile. Ibuki, showing her most seductive smile she could ever perform, placed her ninja skills into good use as she carefully climbed on top of Tommy and slowly aimed her pussy lips right at his face, using a good grip on the lockers for excellent support!

Tommy responded to this maneuver pretty quickly as he slowly slithered his tongue right into her pussy, just like his dick was doing earlier, except he teased her by giving her clit a few touches every now and then. Ibuki groaned at her loudest as she felt this and she managed to stay on his face, despite the vigorous shaking from her numerous small orgasms coming every thirty seconds. Tommy felt her slowly slipping away because her legs were getting weaker, but he held her up by a firm grip on her ass and he actually pushed her wet lips a little closer to him, giving himself more of his sweet Sexy-buki and her Japanese cherry.

Another fifteen minutes went by and Ibuki's orgasms were getting faster and faster as Tommy's tongue continued to swirl all around her vaginal walls. At first, they were thirty seconds apart. Now they were ten seconds apart and the kunoichi didn't know how much more of this she could take. The linebacker felt his lover get drenched in sweat of sexual effort and it made her booty a whole lot smoother as he gave both cheeks a good massage, adding the pleasure to his professional tongue. Ibuki tilted her head back with extreme lust as she felt her orgasms get stronger and stronger with every lick and her body was literally shaking like a leaf at this point.

Five more minutes went by and Tommy's licks got faster out of desperation. He realized that he allowed Ibuki to lick his chest, but he never tasted hers. At this point, her entire body was drenched with tons of sweat from this whole scene and he figured her sweet sweaty glaze could be just as tasty as his very own. Ibuki felt those desperate licks getting faster and faster and her one massive orgasm was about to squirt itself out any second now as her moans got louder with each increasing sensation. Three more minutes went by and Tommy's desperate attempts were starting to become futile at this point and he snarled with impatience before he forced Ibuki's clit into his mouth and just suckled at it alone. That finally did it for Ibuki. She didn't even last ten seconds as she felt this and she screamed at the very top of her lungs as she felt her strongest orgasm at last and she actually held on to Tommy's shoulders for support while she bucked at his face in quick response, despite her body shaking so hard, she slipped every few seconds.

This orgasm lasted for a good five minutes before Ibuki finally calmed down and allowed her limp body to fall right into Tommy's arms and she held him close as she was catching her breath.

"Ho… holy sh… shit…" Ibuki managed to say between harsh breaths. "You… you're a… fucking machine already. Whew! Damn, I'm covered in sweat."

"You made it so hot, baby." Tommy protested playfully. "How did that feel?"

"It felt like good shit. I never wanted you to stop!"

"You never begged me not to. You must be very sensitive."

"In… some sort of way, yeah… but ya know… we're not finished yet. I mentioned that I was smothered in sweat for a reason…" Ibuki paused as she got off of Tommy's lap and allowed him to stand before her before she sat back down on the bench and slowly laid down on her back, spreading her smooth legs apart to give him some crawling space. "…I tasted you and you tasted my lips… now taste my whole body, baby. Do not… hold back."

Tommy didn't say a word as he looked down at his beautiful ninja girl and just admired her body for a minute. It was indeed covered in an extreme amount of sweat and he was ready to lick it all off like she was a glazed piece of candy. After his brief body scanning of the kunoichi, he slowly started to crawl over her athletically slim body before his head was right above hers and he leaned in for another kiss, letting her taste what he tasted within her vaginal walls for a while. Already, Ibuki loved the taste of her own pussy from Tommy's mouth and she engulfed him while she pulled him closer to her for more. After about two minutes of the kiss, Tommy slowly ended the kiss and went for her neck. Ibuki gasped with passion before she let out her most seductive moan ever since they started. Her legs wrapped around the linebacker's waist in response to his touch, but she didn't buck her hips. Instead, she just decided to lay there and take it all in.

Tommy really tasted every last inch of her neck and licked off most of the sweat before he briefly stopped the kisses for a moment while he licked his lips with lust.

"Do I taste good, Tommy-chan?" Ibuki asked sweetly, keeping her seductive smile in place. Tommy still didn't say a word as he nodded in response. Ibuki loved this silent treatment and it was actually turning her on. "Yeah, Tommy-chan. Keep yourself quiet and finish me! You know you wanna."

Tommy didn't waste no time in guiding his tongue down to the cleavage of her breasts and he stayed there for a while, allowing Ibuki to hold him close to her for added stimulation. She groaned with passion as she held her breasts right against both sides of the gentle giant's face and he moaned at the feeling of it. He responded to this by stopping the exploration of the cleavage valley and managed to engulf her left nipple before he alternatively sucked and licked his tongue around it, making Ibuki let out an adorable squeal of pleasure while she giggled in between them every once in a while, due to the fact that the licks around her tit were kind of ticklish. During this moment, Ibuki's thoughts rang in.

_Goddamn! _Ibuki's voice exclaimed in her head as she was verbally groaning, squealing, and giggling every few seconds. _For his first time, Tommy's really doing well. I didn't expect him to learn so quickly and I wonder… does he learn new things this quickly all the time? That's somethin' worth talking to his Mom about once this wraps up… even though I really don't want it to end just yet. He's just too good…_

"Ohhhhh, yeah!" Ibuki sang out verbally before she gasped even harder when she felt Tommy immediately start the same assignment of sucking and licking on the right breast while his left hand continued to tend to her left. This made her body shiver slightly as she took it all in, just like she promised. "Oh… OH, GOD! YES, TOMMY-CHAN! YEAAAH, TASTE ME! Take me! Ohhhhhh, yes!"

Tommy didn't miss a beat as he continued to suckle at her and tease her all at once. After about a good seven minutes, he got a soft grip on Ibuki's love handles before he moved his tongue down even further, across her athletic, but flat stomach slowly… very slowly… making her giggle… before he reached her clean-shaven wet folds again, but Ibuki wouldn't have none of that as she allowed one of her legs to knee him softly on his back, which immediately made him stop for a brief moment with a playful smile.

"Don't go back down there!" Ibuki commanded just as playfully. "I loved it when you licked me around my breasts and abdomen, but I don't need you to go back to my lips again." Ibuki paused as she sat up and stood up on her feet right before her boyfriend and turned around before she stepped up on the bench, offering her ass to him. "You said you wanted to taste my ass, right?" Tommy nodded with a smile all girls would drool over. "But, you never did. You aimed right at my pussy! Now, I want you to kiss my ass for real, okay?"

"Are you just testin' me, baby?" Tommy finally spoke after so long. Ibuki chuckled.

"Does it look like I'm testing you? I just wanna make sure you taste every inch of me… and do mean… _every _inch."

"Damn, Sexy-buki. You must've worked out Karmayah the same way."

"Yeah, I did. I admit it, but he was desperate. I wanted to satisfy him."

"Well, your body is bangin' right now and I'm already satisfied by just lookin' at it from here."

"It's because of my little booty, isn't it?"

"You got it."

"Tee, hee. You want it?" Ibuki gave him an incentive by gently smacking her own right butt cheek sexually after that question and that got Tommy's anxiety going completely insane. "Come and get it, Tommy-chan."

Keeping his smile in tact, Tommy remained silent before he lowered himself just a little to meet his face right at Ibuki's ass before he gently held her love handles and started kissing and engulfing the right cheek for about a minute before he playfully slapped it, adding to the tease. This made Ibuki giggle seductively as she watched him.

"There ya go, baby." She encouraged as she kept her hands on the lockers, resisting from pushing him further. "Ahhhhh, yeah! I've been a bad girl. Smack me as hard as you can and I can take it."

"You sure?" Tommy asked a little too quickly with a little concern. He was never one to hurt the one he loves, but since this was for sexual pleasure…

"Hell, yeah! Of course, I'm sure! I'm a ninja, for God's sake! If I can take the pain of Vega slashing my back, then I can take this, damn it!"

"A'ight, Sexy-buki. I see ya." Tommy finally obeyed her as he gave her a few more satisfying kisses on her right butt cheek before he moved his head back some and gave her whole ass a good hard smack and that actually made the kunoichi moan with pleasure rather than scream in pain. Tommy was impressed by that sound. "Holy shit, girl! You can take a good ass whoopin', can you?"

"As long as it's coming from you, yeah. Keep goin'! My pussy's getting wet again and I think it means business this time."

"Uh, oh…" Bobby muttered in the background, still holding the camera and still recording it all as well.

Back at Ibuki and Tommy…

Ibuki really wasn't bluffing when she mentioned that her pussy was getting wet at every smack Tommy gave to her ass. Her giggles slowly turned into desperate moans for more as she leaned her head back with pure ecstasy. Tommy saw this and decided to just skip the kisses and just playfully give good spankings to his girl. Ibuki managed to make about five more adorable giggles in between her desperate exotic moans for about five more minutes before she suddenly started to feel a little weak in her knees, but Tommy's quick football player reflexes caught her from falling as he continued to give her his hardest smacks with a free hand. Ibuki couldn't take it much longer as she desperately reached her right hand down to her dripping pussy lips and quickly slipped her first two fingers into them and she was just going crazy as she vigorously slid her fingers in and out of herself at breakneck speed!

After the slowest ten minutes, Ibuki just kept gasping and screaming alternatively while her juices were oozing out of her while she still kept her thrusting going at that high speed. Tommy stopped his playful spankings and just watched Ibuki go all out on herself against the lockers with a passionate smile. Tommy felt the condom wearing off just in time as he walked over to his clothes, minus the shoulder pads, before he started getting dressed, still looking back at Ibuki going completely insane at the lockers every now and then. Bobby never turned the camera away from the action as he managed to talk to his childhood friend.

"Two and a half hours… and still counting, man!" Bobby declared with a proud tone in his voice. "For your first time, you did some good fuckin' shit! What happened?"

"I was just as desperate as she was." Tommy admitted. "Damn, I'll never forget this. Never!"

"I never thought Ibuki would be that type of girl. I mean, I know she has a crazy interest in boys, but geez! Tone it down a notch, would ya?"

"She can't help that."

"Don't you think I know that, man? Damn!"

"Ibuki is Ibuki and that's who she is, a'ight? She's more than just a ninja with skills that are so badass, Sub-Zero would be riveted. She's a girl who knows her way around a man and gives him just as much love as well without the sex."

"Amen to that, man."

Fifteen minutes later…

Ibuki was back into her white tank top, blue jeans, and super cool sneakers as she rested on Tommy's lap, still heavily breathing from her episode earlier.

"You alright, Ibuki-chan?" Tommy asked in a peaceful tone of his deep voice. Ibuki jumped with surprise as she heard the newest nickname come out of his mouth. "What?"

"'Ibuki-chan' now? You took that from Karmayah, didn't you?" Ibuki asked in a playful tone. Tommy nodded in response.

"Guilty. I still like Sexy-buki better. I just felt like callin' you Ibuki-chan for once."

"Awww, thanks, Tommy. How long did we go for after all that?"

"Bobby said about two hours plus."

"Whoa! We were both hungry for each other, weren't we?"

"Yeah, but that's okay. That's what makes it sexier."

"Yeah, you're right."

"You did manage to take it easy on me until I got well acquainted, like you promised. I gotta admit, though… you were pretty tight."

"Yeah, well… I haven't done it in a while since Karmayah moved. You were huge though. I knew it was gonna be from the moment I saw you when you ran into me."

"Damn! For that long? What? You had a feeling that I was gonna leave Sasha?"

"Not really. I didn't think you even had a girlfriend."

"Ohh, now I get it… but after all that's happened in here, I'd say it's official."

"It's already been official, even before our little sexy episode."

"Yeah, I know… but since Sasha's on campus, we gotta watch our backs tomorrow. I know how aggressive she can get and you don't know her well enough to know it all. For your safety, I want you to let me handle her alone."

"You sure?"

"Positive. I don't want you to get into a fight after you've been such a good student on this campus. I hear you're the best."

"Yeah, it's true… but what if she fights you? Will you fight back?"

"…well, I might… and I don't want to. It's not in my nature to hurt women who has shown respect towards me, no matter how they feel after a while." 

"But, what if you have no other choice?"

"Then, I guess I have to do what I have to do."

"Good. You must really be a gentle giant after all, if you can't stand hurting a woman… both emotionally and physically." Ibuki tightened her hug after that statement and Tommy gave back the hug and they just held each other there for a while. "Whatever you do to her, I'll support you on it… but I won't interfere."

"Good girl. I knew you could agree. You just stick to your ninja training, a'ight? I'll handle her."

"Okay, Tommy-chan. I love you."

"I love you, too, Sexy-buki." After that was stated, the two actually fell asleep in their current hug, completely forgetting that they were still in the locker room.

That was truly a good GIVE technique… Tommy style. But, tomorrow, Sasha was ready for revenge on what she saw out in the field's sidelines and Tommy was prepared for it. Even though Ibuki desperately wanted to help him any way she could, Tommy expressed his love to her by saying that he was better off dealing with the bitch himself. He started the relationship with Sasha…so now…

…he must try to end it, even if it meant his very own life.

To be continued…


	8. Melodrama Rama

Chapter 8: Melodrama Rama

The morning after history was made for Sarusuberi was indeed a beautiful sunrise. It seemed like Mother Nature watched the game along with the other spectators that night and decided to reward the campus with a marvelous painting of her morning glory. The orange sun glowed through Bobby's dorm room window and he woke up peacefully with a smile any person would appreciate. He looked over to his right and saw Kendra was just sitting up after stretching for a moment, looking right at the beautiful sunrise. Practically every move the albino woman made aroused Bobby into gaining a crush on her. Ibuki's idea of the exchange really did more than just bring the kunoichi and Tommy closer together. Kendra sensed him watching her again and turned around to face him with a smile.

"Morning, Bobby." She greeted sweetly. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, I did." Bobby replied. "Did you?"

"Of course. Your game was fantastic last night."

"Thanks. I'm still a little hungover from last night." Bobby made that statement true by holding his head in pain, due to a headache. "After Tommy and Ibuki's lil'… _celebration_… I joined the boys at the bar and just had a good ol' time!"

"That's good. Speaking of them, where are they?"

"I… don't know. Are they still in the locker room?"

"You tell me."

"…" Bobby didn't say a word as he quickly got dressed and headed for the locker room where Tommy and Ibuki were.

Meanwhile, in that very same locker room…

There were no windows in the room to indicate morning has risen, but the soft beeping from Tommy's water-proof stopwatch made the cue that morning came. Ibuki wasn't affected by the beeping, due to the fact that she was still sleeping. Tommy carefully inspected his watch on his wrist and saw that it was 6:45 am. He was still sitting on the bench with the kunoichi in his strong arms from last night and he just looked down at her with a very handsome smile while he gently stroked her smooth skin on her left cheek. Despite this sweet moment, he never let the fact that Sasha was currently on campus leave his brain. Sure, he was smiling on the outside, but he remained serious on the inside. He had no idea where Sasha was at this point, but when he encounters her, he'll be ready.

Ten minutes went by and he decided to gently wake up Ibuki by a gentle kiss on her forehead. She responded to the touch by the gentle giant's lips by slowly opening her eyes and looked right at him before she passionately kissed him on the mouth in return, gently massaging the linebacker's back in the process. A minute later, they slowly ended the kiss and just looked deeply into their eyes for about thirty seconds before Bobby busted in through the main door.

"Hey, Bobby." Tommy greeted smoothly. "What's up, man?"

"Hey, Tommy." Bobby replied. "You two slept in here the whole night?"

"Yeah. Somehow, we fell asleep while we were in a hug. I can tell ya this, though… Ibuki was still sleepin' when I woke up. I pounded her, Bobby."

"Of course, ya did. I saw it. Well… either that or she tired her own ass out for pleasurin' herself after you gave her some spankings."

"Yeah, that's the reason." Ibuki came in tiredly. "I went all over myself."

"Ah, figures. Ya know we got class in about an hour, right?"

"Yeah, we know." Tommy replied. "That gives us plenty of time to freshen up."

"Good 'cause…" Bobby paused as he took in a few deep sniffs. "…whew! Damn, man! Ya'll smell like a lethal combination of sweat, sex, anger, and shame."

"That hurt, man."

"Well, it's the truth! Please do take a shower… both of ya'll."

Five minutes later…

Tommy just showed Ibuki where the showers were and she smiled on the inside while she stayed observant on the outside. Tommy sensed her smile and guessed it right when he said to her with a strict version of his deep voice:

"Don't you be gettin' any nasty ideas now." This statement made Ibuki jump with shock.

"What?" She asked, looking up at him. "How did you…?"

"I knew what you were thinkin'. We just did it last night. Personally, I don't even have the energy to hold you at this point. I really need this shower, okay?"

"Okay." Ibuki was a little upset that her desire for more was discovered by the half-Korean linebacker, but she shrugged off her misery and just went with the flow as she went to an open shower stall in the very back of the long room, undressing herself on the way. Tommy watched her with a smile of humor as he got undressed himself before he headed into a shower right in front of him.

Fifteen minutes later…

Tommy was the first to get into the locker room in nothing but a towel around his waist as he headed for his locker and happened to pull out a spare casual outfit along with undergarments, socks, and shoes. He grabbed the pile of clean clothes before he headed into a changing station in the far right side of the room and started changing into them. Ibuki just got into the room seconds after he closed the door to his changing station and she was already dressed in her blue v-neck t-shirt and light blue jeans with white sneakers. She looked over at the pure white Komodo Dragon and her pet tanuki still sleeping next to the exit and smiled as she headed for her pet specifically before she gently picked him up and carefully cuddled his sleeping corpse against her chest. Seconds afterwards, she headed for a clean bench before she took a seat and patiently waited for her boyfriend to finish changing.

As she sat there, many thoughts of her encounter with Tommy rang through her head. There were plenty of "What if's" all over her brain.

_What if he hadn't run into me?_

_What if he didn't like me?_

_What if his girlfriend were to be right behind him at the time of the first time encounter? _

Those three questions were making her forget every other date she's had in the past before she met Tommy, especially with Govi the rapist. Speaking of Govi, she realized that she hasn't seen nor heard from him in a while since the day she got raped by the man. She shook her head to knock out the thought of meeting him again and said to Don:

"What the hell am I thinking?"

Tommy stepped out of his changing stall and Ibuki looked up at him with a smile she just pasted on to her face just seconds before. She was a little aroused by how he looked in his fresh new tank top, jeans, and boots ensemble, but Tommy still felt her internal struggle as he approached her while he snapped his fingers for Snow's cue to wake up and he did in a matter of a split second after hearing the snapping.

"Somethin' on your mind, baby?" Tommy asked as he took a seat next to the kunoichi.

"Yeah." Ibuki replied. "I was just thinking about Govi."

"That bastard who raped you?"

"Yeah, and don't get too defensive about it just yet. I just wanna make peace with him someday. That's all."

"Why?"

"Because…" Ibuki paused as she sighed with frustration, waking Don up. He just looked up at her with curiosity as the conversation continued. "…you wouldn't understand. I mean, sure… I told you the story about his crime of raping me, but I never got too deep into the story."

"You mean… there's more?"

"Yeah, but I can't discuss it with you right now. Two reasons: One, it's almost time for class and two, this is my business. If you truly love me, then you would only focus on Sasha when it comes to this matter at my hands. So, do you?"

"Of course, I do, Sexy-buki. I love you with all my heart."

"Then, let me handle this situation myself while you handle your bitch of an ex-girlfriend. Okay?"

"I got it. Take your time with it, a'ight? I don't want you to get hurt."

"What makes you think I'll get hurt? I'm a ninja, for Pete's sake!"

"I know, but what if… ya know… Govi gets too aggressive?"

"He's not…"

Tommy nodded in agreement with a smile before he gently gave his girl a soft kiss on the cheek before he headed out to class. Ibuki still sat there for a little while and when Tommy was out of earshot, she finished off by whispering:

"…at least, I hope not."

45 minutes later…

Tommy was really keeping his eyes open for Sasha as he walked towards his class with Snow by his side. Ibuki was in a separate class, taking an important exam. When he finally approached the door to his class, which was Physics, he took one more look both ways for Sasha before he took a firm hold of the doorknob, but before he could twist it open…

"Hey, Tommy!" Greeted a Southern female voice he knew all too well. He turned around and saw Sasha herself, dressed in her best as always and her long brown hair flowed in the breeze of the air conditioning. That never mesmerized the gentle giant, though. "Long time no see! How have ya been, baby?"

"Fine… until you showed up. How did you even find me?" Tommy replied with anger as he tried to open the door to his class, but Sasha stopped him by a hand as she spoke.

"I… uh… looked into a few sources. So… what's this I hear from Ibuki that you two are dating?"

"It's the truth. I announced my break-up with you before, but you never took it in like a real woman should." Tommy tried to get into class once again, but Sasha just wouldn't let him in. "Ugh! Besides, you cheated on me."

"With that Donovan guy?"

"Yeah."

"Naw, naw, baby. I ain't cheatin'. He's just a new friend of mine."

"You do know that you're the world's worst liar, right?"

"I'm tellin' you da truth, baby. I would never cheat on you!"

"Well, Ibuki told me one day that you were currently cheating on me as we spoke."

"You believe everythang that bitch says, do you?"

"I love her, Sasha! Enough said!" Tommy tried to get into class once more, but again… Sasha wasn't budging. "Can I get to class now? I'm gonna be late!"

"Naw, baby. You ain't goin' nowhere until you say you love me! Now say it… or you WILL be late."

"…" Tommy couldn't believe it. Once again, Sasha's famous manipulation tactics were soon to take over him and cause a new episode of the occasional heartache, but he promised Ibuki he would toughen up, if necessary… but he just couldn't hurt Sasha. He tried to maintain his anger as he tried to get into class again. Sasha, once again, intervened.

"You have to say you love me first. I don't hear it."

Tommy remained silent as he took in deep breaths and tried not to harm a woman, even if that woman cheated on him. He just stood there with his huge hand on the doorknob, which was held by Sasha's slender one as they just stood there for the next two minutes before Bobby showed up with Ryley next to him. Bobby was first to react to this as he quickened his speed and approached the two with an angry look on his face.

"Sasha?" Bobby yelled. "What the fuck are you doin' here?"

"I'm here to pay my respects to Tommy." Sasha replied smoothly.

"You're not even a student here! How did you get in?"

"Does that matter? Anyway, I'm waiting for Tommy to tell me he loves me, so you three fellas can get in class."

"WHAT? Tommy, are you gonna tell her? Because you'll be a complete idiot, if you do!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I don't love you and I don't care what you do." Tommy finally replied as he snatched his hand away from Sasha's. "I already told you. I hate you, I love Ibuki, and you cheated on me… and if you don't like it, then you can kiss my ass and go to Hell! Now, move your motherfuckin' ass out of our way!" Tommy gave Sasha a good shove out of his path before Bobby grabbed the doorknob and finally got it open with three minutes to spare before class started. Ryley and Bobby stepped inside first before Tommy made his way in, but not without giving his ex-girlfriend the coldest stare in history for a few seconds before he finally got into class and took his seat, slamming the door in her face on the way.

Meanwhile, in Algebra…

Ibuki was already done with her exam as well as ten more students and she just sat there, giving her pet tanuki gentle massages between his ears while he sat in her lap. Two people were on her mind: Govi and Sasha. On her thoughts with Govi, she figured that she could try to make peace with him and just let the past disappear, forgetting that dreadful event that took away her virginity. As for her thoughts on Sasha, it was pretty blank. After her encounter with Tommy's ex during the football game last night, she knew that the stubborn girl was going be hard-headed and she sensed that at a good time as she felt Sasha's presence outside her classroom door. She raised her hand at attention and her Professor pointed her out.

"Yes, Ibuki?" He said in a gruff voice.

"May I be excused?" Ibuki asked sweetly. The Professor didn't say a word as he motioned for her to be excused from class for a little while, leaving Don behind as she headed out the door. When she saw Sasha enter the ladies' restroom, she smiled in her head as she followed, keeping a serious look on her face.

When the kunoichi got inside, she looked all over for Sasha. She checked under all five stalls, but not one pair of feet was shown. She stood there with a confused look on her face before she was suddenly dragged into the biggest stall in the room and she realized that it was Sasha before she locked the door.

"Well, well, well…" Sasha started. "…if it isn't Ibuki the bitchy ninja."

"I should be saying that to you, you Southern whore!" Ibuki spat back, forcing Sasha's hand off her shoulder.

"You had to tell Tommy about my affair with Donovan, didn't you? How did you even know?"

"I'm a ninja, remember?"

"Grrr! Smart-ass! At any rate, I think I got Tommy to believe me this time. He gave me a cold stare, but I bet he's just playin'."

"You _think_ he's just playing, but he's not, okay? What's it gonna take for you to realize that he doesn't love you?"

"It ain't gonna take nothin'… except a few words…"

"What? Words like 'I', 'Love', and 'You'?"

"Yeah. Those words."

"Well, those three words are never leaving Tommy's lips unless I'm in his face."

"Oh, really? You sound so confident."

"That's because I am… and, uh… oh! Didn't you hear? Tommy and I had sex after the game last night. What ya got to say now, bitch?"

"WHAT? How dare you?" Sasha had it up to here and, to show it, she gave Ibuki an extremely painful smack across her left cheek, leaving a red bruise on her face. Ibuki kept her head turned for a second before she slowly turned back to her… very slowly… with an extremely pissed off look on her cute face, making her brown eyes glisten in the lights of the restroom with horror written all over them. Sasha started to sweat nervously as she took a good look at her. "Uh, oh…"

"Did you just slap me?" Ibuki kept her angry look in check as she carefully pulled out three Kunai blades from her back pocket of her jeans. Sasha nervously shook her head as she tried to sneak out, keeping a close eye on the kunoichi and, when she was about two feet away from the main restroom door, she felt one kunai get stabbed into her neck and she fell to the floor with a scream of extreme pain. Ibuki still had on her civilian clothes as she prepared another kunai for an attack. Sasha slowly got up and pulled out the same weapon from her neck as she cringed with pain. "Touch me again. I dare you."

"Don't start cryin' because I smacked your ass. You slept with my Tommy behind my back!"

"So? He doesn't love you anymore. Now, do you wanna keep complaining and get another kunai as your prize or are you gonna get the hell off of this campus?"

"You can't tell me what to do! I own Tommy and you don't own nothin' from him! I don't care what you do!"

"Oh, ya don't?" Ibuki was about to prepare for another attack until…

"IBUKI!" A female Professor came in with anger. "What's going on here?"

"We have an intruder on our campus and she's standing right before you." Ibuki replied smoothly, quickly placing away her weapons without the Professor knowing. Sasha looked up at the tall woman at the entrance and chuckled with sweat all over her face.

"I see. What's your name? I'll have the Dean keep a close eye on you."

"Sasha Marshall." Sasha replied innocently. Ibuki watched this scene with her arms crossed and a confident smile. "But, I ain't no intruder. I'm just visitin'."

"Well, 'visitor', I don't see a name tag on you indicating that fact, so you must leave this campus immediately."

"Yes, ma'am." Sasha started to walk out the restroom, but she stopped for a moment as she looked back at the same Professor coming to Ibuki's aid.

"Oh, my goodness, Ibuki. You're bruised on the face. Did this woman do this to you?"

"Yeah." Ibuki replied. "She slapped me."

"Oh, you poor thing. Go ahead and gather your things and meet me at the medical wing, so we can tend to this bruise immediately."

"Sure thing, Mrs. Gregorson." Ibuki obeyed the elder as she shoved Sasha out of the way on her way back to the classroom. The Southern ex-girlfriend of Tommy kept her cold stare in tact as she headed out the campus and back to her hotel not too far from there.

Five minutes later, in the Medical Wing…

Ibuki was already sitting down in a soft chair next to the nurse while Don volunteered to hold an ice pack against her swollen red cheek. After about two minutes, Ibuki silently motioned for her tanuki to let go, so she could hold it herself, giving his paws a warming break. The nurse, who was a peaceful elderly woman in her mid-70s, got up from her seat behind the desk and carefully inspected Ibuki's face as she moved the ice pack.

"Oh, my!" The nurse exclaimed. "Looks as though Balrog came in and gave you a good beating… once."

"I wish." Ibuki muttered sarcastically. "It was actually a really hard smack on my face from this girl named Sasha."

"Sasha? She's not a student."

"I know. That's the whole idea. She's here not only to get me out of her way, but to try to ruin Tommy's reputation of being a good man."

"But, he _is _a good man… and a pretty attractive one at that. He's been here every once in a while for any sprained ankles, cuts, or bruises from football practice, but overall, he is one healthy young gentleman. Are you his girlfriend or something?"

"Yeah. I am officially his girl, but Sasha doesn't wanna take that hint for some reason."

"Hmmm… it seems like this Sasha person wants to really ruin your relationship, not Tommy's reputation."

"Uh… no! Do ya think? Ow!" Ibuki's cheek burned upon her exclaimation and quickly held the ice pack at the exact spot. "Damn it! She really hit me hard!"

"Such a violent woman she is. How did she even get in?"

"She didn't say."

"I asked her that very same question, baby." Tommy came in with Snow and his duffle bag, ready for practice. "She figured that didn't matter."

"Humph! Bitch!"

"Are you okay?" Tommy gently placed down his duffle bag as he approached his injured girlfriend and kneeled down to meet right at her face and Ibuki smiled slightly as she slowly removed her ice pack, so he could take a good look. "Holy shit, Ibuki-baby. Looks like Sasha gave you more than you could chew. She's usually not this violent, but I guess you pushed her buttons somehow. That's the only way she'll go all off on people."

"Yeeeah, I figured that. I… um… kinda told her about our little 'celebration' last night."

"You did?"

"I wanted something to get through her thick skull and that seemed to work perfectly, seeing her slap me as a result."

"No wonder. Somehow, I can't help feeling like that was the wrong thing to do."

"Yeah, well… beg pardon?" Ibuki did a double take on what Tommy just said and became both shocked and speechless as her boyfriend continued.

"I'm not saying you did the wrong thing, but it's just a feeling. I should've told her about it. Not you. It's no wonder she slapped you."

"…huh!"

"Don't take it personally now."

"Who said I was? I totally understand what you mean and I'll accept it, okay? Didn't I promise you that I'll accept anything you do from this moment on?"

"Yeah."

"Then, I'm keeping that promise until Sasha is gone both physically and mentally."

"Physically, though?"

"I know you want her dead for what she's been doing to you for these past few years."

"Oh, like you wanted Govi to die?"

"Please don't bring him up again."

"I'm still wondering why you're suddenly thinkin' about him… especially after he forced your viginity outta you."

"Tommy, please…"

"…" Tommy's mouth was opened after that statement, ready to continue his complaints, but he saw Ibuki's dreadful tears of fear leave her beautiful chocolate brown eyes and he gave her a loving hug instead. "I'm sorry, baby. I now realize that this is your business and I'll stay out of it, a'ight?"

"Thanks, Tommy. Do me a favor, then…"

"What is it?"

"Kick Sasha's ass for me."

Tommy chuckled at that statement as he tightened the embrace even more, giving Ibuki more of his love and respect he's had for her since they met.

Five hours later, in Tommy and Ibuki's dorm room…

Ibuki's swollen cheek was finally downsized and no more red was seen as she studied hard for another upcoming exam while Tommy did the same right next to her in bed. After about three more minutes of studying, Tommy's cell phone rang and he answered it quickly, seeing that it was his Mother.

"Hi, Mom." Tommy greeted playfully, making Ibuki giggle quietly beside him while she kept her focus on her notes.

"Hi, Tommy." Karthaji greeted on the other line. "How's my big boy doing today?"

"Great, thanks… well, for now."

"Uh, oh… what did Sasha do this time? Did she finally hit you?"

"Naw… but she slapped Ibuki."

"Oh, no! Is she okay?"

"She's completely healed now. The swelling took a little longer to deflate, but she's okay now."

"Whew, that's good. Wait a minute… how did she even find you and Ibuki?"

"Who knows? She wouldn't tell me… except a few sources led her here."

"I'll bet I know who gave her those sources."

"You do?"

"Of course, dear. Many of these inmates have been treating me with respect and never spoke a word to her… except one."

"Which is…?"

"This mysterious man named Govi."

"WHAT?"

"Tommy, what is it?" Ibuki came in with concern. Tommy silently shushed her as he continued his conversation with his Mother.

"Are you sure?"

"You know I would never lie to my own and only son." Karthaji replied. "Govi sure is weird. He's been shaven of his blonde hair and he's built plenty of muscle, just like you, since I've met him. He's been held in an insane persons section of this facility. I never figured out why… except every time I see him, he has this eerie grin on his face, like he's possessed or somewhere along those lines. Why do you ask if I'm sure? Do you know him?"

"Ibuki told me a story about him and her encounter with him. She was raped by him long before me and my team arrived on campus."

"OH, MY GOD! No wonder he's insane… and no wonder he gave Sasha the tip to Ibuki's whearabouts… and not to mention yours as well."

"Holy shit…"

"Tommy, what's wrong?" Ibuki continued to ask with concern. Tommy looked over at his girl and silently whispered with his shocked face still in check:

"Ibuki… Govi met my Mother."

"…" This left Ibuki speechless and shocked all at once for about two minutes before she suddenly forced her notebook off of her lap and rushed to the bathroom with a green face. Tommy watched her with concern before he finished up the conversation quickly.

"Mom, I gotta go. I have a feeling Ibuki's nerves are more sensitive than mine when it comes to a past people never want to remember." Tommy said in a serious tone of his deep voice.

"Okay, honey." Karthaji replied in a reassuring voice. "By the way, he never touched me."

"Good. Bye, Mom. I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetie. Please take care of Ibuki while you still can."

"I will." After that was stated, Tommy hung up the phone and rushed into the bathroom to check on his girl. Don and Snow saw this scene from where they lay, next to the dresser, and showed looks of concern before they eventually fell asleep.

To be continued…


	9. Difficult Peacemaking: Part I

Chapter 9: Difficult Peacemaking – Part 1

Hell finally broke through for both Tommy and Ibuki since they met. Sasha received sources from serial rapist Govi, who happened to be the one who raped Ibuki not too long ago. After hearing that he was in the same facility as Tommy's Mother, Ibuki grew nauseous and ran for her life to the bathroom in her and Tommy's dorm to vomit her suffering into the toilet. Tommy followed her shortly after, just to give her as much comfort as he could while she continued to throw up. Don sprung up just seconds after hearing that it was indeed his owner who was sick and dashed into the bathroom and just sat there with concern right at Tommy's feet.

As the gentle giant continued to watch his sick girlfriend, he began to think deeply about what made Ibuki so nervous every time he mentioned Govi to her. Now, he sees why.

"Damn, baby." Tommy spoke, gently rubbing Ibuki's back for comfort while she was still vomiting. "The experience with Govi must've been extremely horrifying, now that I think about it. You said it was five minutes, right? Shit, I can't even imagine how he managed to torture you like that in just five minutes! I wonder if my Mom can get some answers out of him somehow. Don!" The tanuki stood on his hind legs at attention upon hearing his name. "Go fetch me my phone real quick, man." Don squealed in response before he obeyed the linebacker and brought back the phone in his mouth and gently dropped it in Tommy's huge hand. "I gotta call her back and see what she can do."

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Criminal Facility in Downtown Tokyo…

Karthaji was just lying on her back in her bed in deep thought. She just couldn't sleep because she knew that poor Ibuki was sickened from hearing about Govi being not too far apart. Three minutes went by and a security guard approached her bars with a wireless phone in his hand.

"Karthaji, it's your son." He called out, handing the phone to her in between bars. The mother of Tommy sighed as she reluctantly got up and took the phone. "Wanna keep the phone in there with ya?"

"Yes, if I may…" Karthaji replied politely. The guard nodded in response before he went back to his post, but quickly turned back around to head for the chamber Govi was being held in just to check on him. Karthaji watched him with curiosity before she spoke into the phone, heading back to her bed as well. "Tommy, what is it?"

"Did you talk to Govi yet?" He asked briefly. Karthaji shook her head.

"No, I didn't. I was a little fearful of that possessed smile he did every time I approached him and didn't want to speak to him about any crimes he's done in the past."

"Damn!"

"Why, honey?"

"Mom, I think Ibuki needs to handle him herself."

"TOMMY!"

"Look, Ma. It's for the best. I care about my Sexy-buki, a'ight? I have Sasha to deal with while Ibuki has Govi and we both agreed to keep it that way until all of this Hell has blown over. Ibuki has to handle it. She said so herself that she could."

"No! Why must you do this to her? I thought you loved her!"

"I do… and I'm provin' that by letting her go."

"Hmmm… you sound just like your Father."

"I do?"

"Yes. Johnnie told me the same thing when he saw that I was involved with a huge debate between both sides of Korea. I'm on North Korea's side and dealing with the South wasn't easy. They were hard to make peace with and I was getting shot as a result. Even though your Father desperately wanted to save me, he didn't… he couldn't… because he loved me… because he knew I could handle it."

"Wow."

"You see… you take your bravery from your Father and your loving instincts from both of us. So, actually, I'll take back everything I said. Ibuki should handle Govi herself… alone… once she heals up. Sasha is your problem and you must deal with her alone. Understand?"

"Completely. Thank you, Mom. Tomorrow, all of that's gonna happen… after our classes."

"Good boy. Now, have a good night, sweetie. I love you."

"I love you, too." After that, Tommy hung up the smart phone and gently laid it on the floor right in between his feet and Don's paws. Just seconds afterwards, Ibuki finally stopped vomiting and was just coughing for a few seconds before Tommy quickly grabbed a towel and allowed her to wipe her mouth on it as he flushed the toilet. "Feelin' better, baby?"

"Much better." Ibuki replied as she gathered the strength to stand and continued to wipe her mouth. "Awww, man. I can't believe Govi is in the same prison as your Mom. What are the odds of that, huh?"

"Well, you had it coming. How long has he been in prison since he raped you?"

"Three years so far. He actually has a lifetime sentence because he was mentally insane at that point. He is a danger to society now and there's nothing Govi can do about it. Serves him right!"

"I figured he would be on Death Row for it, but I was really shocked about the fact that he was still alive."

"Well, he's about to get some peace talk from me tomorrow. Besides, it's Ninjitsu Day and all students that are studying the fighting style or is currently a ninja has the day off."

"From training or from school overall?"

"Both."

"…oh."

"Sorry, I didn't tell you about it earlier."

"That's a'ight. I needed to know about it anyway. Now that I heard this, how are you gonna get to the prison? It's in Downtown Tokyo."

"I have a way…"

The next morning…

"Tommy, can I borrow your car?" Ibuki asked from the bathroom as she was styling her long brown hair into her signature ponytail. Tommy did a double-take on the question as he looked up from his notes with a shocked look on his face.

"Say-what-now?" He asked with sarcasm. "Did you just… ask me… if-"

"I could borrow your car? Yeah."

"Can you even drive? I have yet to see a driver's license on you since I met you."

"Yeah, I have a license! Want me to prove it?"

"That would be just dandy, baby."

"Right…" Ibuki muttered as she searched into her small shoulder bag that was laid right next to her on the sink. After about five seconds, she finally pulled it out and held it up for Tommy to see. The linebacker stood up and took a closer look at it and hummed in deep thought. "Well?"

"You ain't got no last name, huh?"

"Never came up with one since I was born. My name has just been Ibuki for practically my entire life. Personally, I don't even _need _a last name."

"I can tell. Let me take a closer look at the license…" Tommy leaned closer to the small card in Ibuki's hand and read it to himself. "…hmmm. Five feet and four inches tall, huh? You didn't look this short when I first ran into you."

"That's because I was wearing small heals that day."

"…oh. I still love you, though."

"I know ya do." Ibuki placed her license back in her shoulder bag safely before she continued fixing up her hair. "But, that doesn't excuse you from gaining your permission to borrowing your car. Just for today. Pleeeeeeeease?"

"Well, it is a safe car… and not to mention fuel efficient. I just refilled the tank and it's full, so I'm sure you won't have a problem drivin' it. Sure, baby. I'll let you borrow it… but just for today, like you said."

"Thanks, Tommy!" Ibuki finished her ponytail just in time to give her boyfriend a loving embrace in thanks. "I promise to take good care of it. There won't be as much as a scratch on it when I come back."

"I trust you, Sexy-buki." Tommy walked back to the bed and pulled out his car keys in his nightstand before he handed them to Ibuki. She took them and placed them away in her shoulder bag. "Please be careful. Govi does sound like he's one insane bastard."

"Don't worry about me, Tommy. If I can face an egocentric maniac like Adon, then I can face Govi. It has been so long since I've seen him. Hopefully, he won't remember too much about me."

"I love you, Ibuki-chan."

"I love you, too, Tommy-chan." After that was said, Ibuki gently wrapped her slender, but muscular arms around her gentle giant boyfriend's neck and gave him the most passionate lip lock they have ever shared since their first meeting. The kiss lasted for a good five minutes before they finally parted with Ibuki's adorable brown eyes looking deeply into Tommy's beautiful neon green ones for about ten seconds before she turned towards the exit and walked out with a brave look on her face, which was unseen to Tommy. The linebacker just smiled with tears of hope as he headed back to the bed to continue studying.

Meanwhile, in Bobby and Kendra's room…

Kendra was already up and ready for her day. When she was about to head for the bathroom to clean up her mess, she saw Ibuki walking down the hallway in a short white tank top, blue skinny jeans, and black and white sneakers with her signature tanuki tail attachment on her left back pocket and a kunai chain attached to one belt loop in the front and one in the back. The only thing she noticed on the casual looking kunoichi was the look of determination on her cute face. She grew concerned as she went out to check up on her. Ibuki sensed her coming without even looking behind her and stopped just before the stairs, making Kendra stop just three feet away.

"Ibuki, where are you going?" She asked with concern. Ibuki never looked back as she bowed her head while closing her eyes, still keeping a look of bravery rather than a smile.

"I'm gonna try to make peace with Govi." Ibuki replied, her adorable voice sounding even more serious than ever. This made Kendra extremely shocked and horrified, but before she could speak out in protest, Ibuki finished off by saying: "If you need me, I will find you." This left Kendra completely speechless as she continued to stand there with a look of terror. She couldn't believe that Ibuki would take this one day off she has from her classes to risk her life making peace with the one man who violated her. Knowing she was a tough-as-nails kind of a ninja, Kendra wasn't too worried, but it was mostly Govi she was worried about.

_What if he takes it too far?_ The albino sister of Karmayah asked in her head. This question continued to haunt her as Ibuki made her way down the stairs and into the parking lot of the campus. All Kendra could do was sigh with worry as she headed back to her and Bobby's room to see that Bobby has already awakened and was in the bathroom, giving himself a good shave. She was planning on telling him about Ibuki's bravest move she's ever seen since the two ladies became good friends, but decided to save it until the right moment.

Meanwhile, in the lobby of the campus…

Sasha just came into the visitor registration booth and kindly requested a name tag indicating that she was a visitor, so she wouldn't get into trouble again. When she just turned away from the booth, she spotted Ibuki just heading out the door. She humphed with a cocky attitude as she followed her without her being noticed, but again, Ibuki's ninja senses she's had since birth kicked in and she froze in her path with her serious look still in check. This made Sasha stop in her tracks with a confident smile.

"Where do you think you're goin', bitch?" She asked Ibuki as she crossed her arms.

"None of your damn business." Ibuki replied smoothly as she reached into her bag for the car keys and pressed the unlock button to hear a clicking sound right before her. "I suggest you back the hell off while you still can."

"Why? Are you gonna cut me?"

"That would be stupid of me."

"Wha-! Okay, girl. Your smart-ass talk stops now! I'll leave you alone if you tell me… right now… where you're going."

"No."

"No? NO? Nobody says 'no' to me!"

"Humph! Too bad. This is _my _business and you have _no _right to get into it with your futile manipulation. So, you can beg and beg and beg all you want… I won't break as much as a sweat trying to tell you."

"Grrrr! Now you're really startin' to piss me off!"

"Oh, boo-hoo! I feel sorry for you." Ibuki never looked at the angry ex-girlfriend of Tommy as she got in the car's passenger side before she scooted over to the driver's side. She smiled slightly as she saw her pet tanuki was already in the car, wide awake and ready to help any way he could. She wondered how he made it to the vehicle before her, but that didn't matter. She was just happy that Don kept his childhood promise to stick by her side at every chance he had.

Outside the car, Sasha was furious. She ran up to the vehicle and tapped on the passenger window, trying to get some attention, but Ibuki ignored her as she used the push-button start and all of the doors locked automatically after the engine revved twice. The windows blocked out the sound of Sasha cussing the kunoichi out as she continued to bang on the indestructible glass. Ibuki just watched her with her brave look still in check, not making as much as a chuckle for her misery as Don moved up to the front and secured himself in his seatbelt. Sasha was still inaudible, but it looked like she was begging the tanuki to open the window. Ibuki and Don stared at her for the next silent fifteen seconds before they both gave her the middle finger simultaneously for five seconds, making Sasha freeze with wide shocked eyes, and Ibuki drove off just milliseconds afterward.

Sasha couldn't believe it. She tried so hard to make peace with the ninja, but it only ended up in her getting flipped off by her and her pet at the same time! She just stood there in the parking lot, looking at the path Ibuki just rolled out of with crossed arms and a red face of anger before she headed back to the campus to check up on Tommy.

Fifteen minutes later, in Chemistry…

"Okay, everyone." Professor Jarlina started with a smile. Tommy was sitting next to Bobby this time while Kendra and Snow sat next to each other, having Snow amazingly sit in a chair like a person. "First of all, I'd like to announce that today is officially Ninjitsu Day for all of our so-called 'ninjas' of the campus. They all have this day off, so there might be a few students missing, including Ibuki. Speaking of, Tommy… where is she, if I may ask?"

"She's dealing with something very personal." Tommy replied.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Sorry, but I can't explain it."

"It's alright. I just wanted to know. Anyway, the second announcement is that today… I have cancelled the idea of creating a genetic experiment."

"WHAT?" All of the students, except Tommy, exclaimed in shock. The linebacker just crossed his arms with confidence.

"I'm sorry to say this to you all, but Tommy's astounding pet Albino Komodo Dragon here just stole my heart and my project idea… in a good way no less. So, instead, we'll just give this beautiful lizard the ability to talk and get on with our exam. It is a free question exam today, so Snow and I will be asking questions alternatively."

"Awwww."

"I like where this is going." Tommy said to himself. Bobby groaned as he leaned on the table with a frown.

"Easy for you ta say, man!" He muttered.

"I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Tommy?" Professor Jarlina came in.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Do you mind if I borrow Snow just for this exam? I promise I won't hurt him. Giving him the ability to talk will be a harmless procedure."

"I don't mind. Snow, go to Jarlina!" Snow growled in response before he slowly got out of the chair and approached the professor with a smile of sincerity before he got up on a stool like a good pet.

"Awww, he's so obedient and polite. I'm practically jealous. Anyway, as soon as Snow is able to talk, our exam will begin. So, everyone, take out a pencil and paper now while you can and prepare for the test."

Every student did so and, as Tommy did, he had deep thoughts about both Ibuki and Sasha. With his thoughts about Ibuki, he was internally praying for her safety. After hearing how terrible Govi was to her, he was extremely worried about the whole confrontation. Hopefully, his Mother will help her, if needed. As for Sasha, he is hoping that making peace with her won't be harder than getting enrolled into his football team during his freshman year in high school. Knowing her all too well, he knows she's too hard-headed and he's not going to surrender to her famous manipulation acts. No matter what happens, he will step up and be a man… even if it meant that he had to hurt a woman for the first time in his entire life.

Meanwhile, with Ibuki and Don…

Ibuki just stopped at her fourth stoplight and continued to finish up an apple she happened to obtain at a supermarket on the way. Don was busy eating his baby carrots out of a bag as he sat there like a good pet. After a silent ten seconds of eating, Ibuki's smart phone rang and she used the wireless headset on her right ear to answer it, safely keeping both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road as the light just turned green.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Ibuki, Johnnie and I just saw you drive by the pet shop." Karmayah's deep voice said over the phone. "Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Not today. It's Ninjitsu Day and all ninjas of the campus takes this day off, including me."

"That makes sense. So, where are you going?"

"Do you remember Govi Tavo?"

"…oh, no. Ibuki, don't go there! What if he tries to violate you again?"

"I'll take that risk. I never told him I was a ninja and he's gonna find out."

"Does Tommy know about this?"

"Yeah, and he's fine with it."

"Now, that's love. Well, please do be on your guard, Ibuki. I hear he's dubbed as critically insane."

"I know and I can handle it. Besides, I have Don-chan with me. He'll have my back."

"Heh, heh… I know he will. Well, good luck to both of you and take your time. If there's anything more you can do during this situation, taking your time and being patient are the best things to do."

"Thanks, Karmayah. I'll keep that in mind. Bye."

"Good-bye, Ibuki-chan." After that was said, Ibuki pressed the button on her headset and the phone hung up just in time to hear the GPS tell her that the jail was only three miles away on her next left turn. Upon hearing this, Don squealed with determination as he just finished his baby carrots and looked up at his owner with a brave smile. Ibuki chuckled at his squealing, translating his tanuki language.

"That was funny how we both flipped Sasha off back there. How did you know how to… never mind. That's not important right now. Now, Don… pay attention. Govi is a dangerous criminal and he's been a serial rapist for a while before he met me. Now, I don't know how he'll be towards you, but just keep your head down and your eyes open until I need your help. If you can't help me at all, then you know who to call. Okay?" Don squealed in response with a nod. Ibuki nodded in response. "Good boy… oh! And if Tommy's mom happens to be there, rely on her first before you make that very important call." Again, Don nodded and squealed in response. After that short pep talk, the GPS announced in a female voice:

"We have arrived."

That was enough to tell Ibuki that it was now or never to settle a peace treaty with Govi. She grabbed her smart phone and slipped it into her shoulder bag as she got out of the car with Don coming from around it seconds later. She stood there at the gates of the prison with determination as Don just leaped onto her back, ready to help. After about five seconds, Ibuki used her professional ninja skills to gracefully leap over the gates and make her way to the visitor's entrance. Two minutes later, she arrived and a security guard greeted her with a nod.

"Well, howdy, Ibuki." He greeted in a heavy country voice. "What brangs ya here?"

"I'm here to see Govi." Ibuki said in a brave tone of her cute voice. The guard nodded again as he allowed her inside.

"Go on ahead. He's been waitin' fo ya all dis time since we caught 'im three years ago. Just walk straight down dis here hallway and that big metal door at the very end is where you'll find 'im. I'll inform da guard dere dat you are on yo' way and let you in."

"Thanks, Horace." Those were the young kunoichi's final words before she headed into the prison, keeping her game face on the entire time with Don hanging on to her with the same exact game face she made.

Five minutes later, back at Sarusuberi…

Dean Morris just made a school-wide announcement that Ibuki just got into the prison where Govi was being held and ordered that every single student and staff member should watch the international news report on it right now. Professor Jarlina immediately placed the exam on cancel mode and decided to give the entire class a 100 percent passing grade for their efforts as she turned on the television hung in the far left corner of the room. Tommy was already focused on the screen with Snow just sitting down next to him by his feet as the female reporter just got on screen.

"I'm Valina Kayvos, live at the Tokyo Criminal Facility main gates, where upperclassmen, Ibuki, of Sarusuberi University, has just made landfall here to make peace with the criminally insane Govi Tavo, who has been arrested on tons of raping charges." The American reporter started. "Many of the guards here are both ecstatic and worried about the whole confrontation and I even managed to get a short talk with Ibuki herself about it."

Seconds after that was said, the screen cut to Ibuki and Don on the screen and this made Tommy smile on the inside while he remained serious and determined on the outside.

"Ibuki, what made you decide to finally make peace with this extremely dangerous criminal?" Valina asked off-camera as a microphone appeared on screen with the kunoichi and her pet tanuki.

"I figured I could just let him forget he's even raped me and just start over from the top peacefully." Ibuki replied with honesty. "I do have a boyfriend right now and I know he's praying for my safety."

"Such brave words for such a young warrior. Who is your boyfriend and will he aid you in your journey?"

"My boyfriend is Tommy Jaymes Jones. He has a pretty harsh past and it kinda reminded me of my terrible past with Govi as well as other boys."

"I see, so he's an inspiration to you as well as devoted lover?"

"Yeah, pretty much. As far as assistance goes, though, I'll only call him if I need him. He promised me to let me handle Govi by myself while he deals with his ex-girlfriend, who's been stalking him since he moved out."

"Ugh!" Sasha groaned behind the Chemistry door window. "She is such a liar. I ain't stalkin' shit!"

Back on the television…

"Oh, my." Valina started with worry. "That's awful. Do you think he's handling it well? I've seen him at his football games back in his high school days and he is a pretty big man… not to mention cute and handsome as well."

"Yeah, but he is handling it well. I know he is." Ibuki replied. "It's not in his nature to harm women, since he shows much respect to his Mother, who's imprisoned here as well, but since Sasha, that's his ex's name, won't leave him alone, he'll probably have to use brute force, which I know he'll hate to do."

"Awww, the poor man. He's a gentle giant, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I know it must be tough for him. So, how about Don here? Will he help?"

"Of course. He didn't come with me just to keep me company."

"Heh, heh. Enough said. Well, do be careful and good luck."

"Thanks, Valina."

The screen cut back to the reporter immediately after that. Tommy kept his determined face in tact as he continued to watch. Sasha was turning red with anger outside the door.

"Humph! Bitch! I hope you die." She muttered as she continued to watch the news.

Back on the TV…

"Ibuki really means much when it comes to this confrontation and we will continue the coverage on this exclusive story. Now on to the weather-"

_CLICK!_

Professor Jarlina muted the TV for a while as she spoke to the class.

"Well, everyone." She started. "Let's all hope and pray that it ends well for our best student. Tommy, do you have anything to say about this?"

"Actually, I do." Tommy replied as he stood up and turned towards his classmates with a brave smile. "My friends, ya'll know I love Ibuki, right?"

"Yeah!" The class replied.

"Well, letting her go for it alone was the international symbol of that and until she needs my help, I'm staying here and tending to my ex, like she said just now. If ya'll happen to see Sasha, let me handle her. I don't want to endanger all of you."

"You got it!"

"Awww, yeah, that is some sweet bullshit, Tommy!" Sasha came in with her rudest attitude to date! Tommy immediately became angry as he faced her while he silently motioned for the class and Professor Jarlina to get back, but commanded Snow to stay by his side, just in case.

"Sasha…" Tommy started. "…it's time we settle this like civilized people."

"Oooooh, I'm scared."

"Hmmmm…" Tommy partially growled with annoyance as he crossed his diesel arms with concentration.

Back at the Tokyo Criminal Facility…

Ibuki and Don still kept their fearless faces on as they continued on their way down the hall, straight towards a heavy-looking metal door that was even taller than Tommy by a couple of inches. Many of the inmates were doing a combination of cheering, cat-calling, and just plain wailing in fear as they watched her just stroll down the hall, her face of courage never leaving the path before her, as if she was temporarily deaf. Don was her ears as he heard the many comments and threats about her coming from the extreme number of male inmates. He heard such lines as:

_Dead ninja walking!_

_Yeah, you'll be in Heaven's scene before you know it!_

_Let me deal with him!_

_Govi's gone mad and so has Ibuki!_

_Are you crazy, you rookie kunoichi?_

_Don't go in there! He will eat your cute ass alive, girl!_

And the tanuki even heard:

_He raped ya once… he'll do it again! _

Hearing that last statement made Ibuki freeze in her tracks when she still had about fifteen more feet to walk before she made it to the door. She turned towards the owner of that latter statement in a split second and this taunted the nervous midget before her behind bars. Don showed a look of humor, holding in his laugh as he watched this scene from her shoulders.

"What did you just say to me?" Ibuki asked in a cold tone of her adorable voice.

"Uh… I didn't say anything." The same nervous mid-20s male midget said in the typical voice of a comedian. Ibuki didn't buy it as she got closer to him and managed to point a kunai right at his face in a threatening gesture. He started to make even more sweat as he looked right at the point. "Gulp… I mean, uh… I said… uh… Govi raped ya once and he'll do it again… when he sees ya, ya know… heh, heh… heeeeehh…"

"Mm-hm. And tell me why do you think so? Hmm?"

"Be-be-be-because… we all know him. We know he raped ya and we know how dangerous he is towards the females of this city. He thinks every woman is a vile creature and must be tortured to death through their glory holes, if you get what I mean."

"Is that really his motivation?"

"I dunno!"

"DON'T LIE TO ME!" Ibuki drew out another kunai and it was closer to his nose this time. This made the midget shake like a leaf in extreme horror as he tried to beg for mercy.

"I-hai-really don't know-ho-ho-ho!"

Don squealed in agreement as he calmed down Ibuki's temper, saying that the short man before her was indeed telling the honest truth. She sighed as she bowed her head in apology before she placed away her weapons and stood up straight, looking down at him with her fearless look for about five seconds before she turned like a solider at attention and continued on her way to Govi's chamber. The short man looked on from his cell and kept his mouth shut this time. He mentally took back that statement he said about Govi raping Ibuki twice and was immediately on her side from this point on.

Back at Sarusuberi…

Tommy and Sasha were still standing there in the middle of the classroom with serious and angry faces on them as they continued to stare at each other in silence. Five silent minutes went by and it was broken by Snow's snarling of vengeance. Tommy whistled for him to get quiet and let him handle this until it was his time to shine. Sasha took one step forward afterwards and started the debate.

"Tommy, why don't you love me anymore? I thought we had somethin'." She started. Tommy kept his strict face glued on as he spoke.

"Because you're a melodramatic cheater who gets her way through brute force." He replied, not showing a sign of backing away. "You keep lying about you and Donovan… and it's gotta stop now."

"I'm not lying! Donovan and I are just friends. Nothing more and nothing less!"

"Keep lyin' to me, Sasha! I don't wanna hurt you."

"Then, don't, damn it! Baby, I love you… more than anythang. Please come back to me… please…"

"I'm sorry, Sasha… but our love has come and gone. Ibuki is in my heart now… and there's nothing you can do about it."

"You… you really mean it?"

"Do I look like I mean it? Are you _that _stupid to see that my heart belongs to a woman who is far more devoted to me than you?"

"…what?"

Tommy remained quiet as he slowly approached his ex with his strict face still pasted on as he gently grabbed her shoulders.

"I can see that you still need some time to take it all in. I'll give you ten minutes. When you think you've gotten the hint, you come and meet me outside on the parking lot by then. I'll be waiting." After that, Tommy and Snow wasted no time in making their way outside towards the parking lot. Sasha still stood there with shock and sadness all at once as she thought about it in silence in front of the rest of the class. Bobby and Kendra were the most concerned out of all of the students. They both could tell that Sasha was thinking long and hard about it by that sad look on her face.

As for Tommy and Snow…

They both just made it outside to the parking lot and saw the empty space where his car used to be and Tommy just got thoughts racing through his mind and spirit about how Ibuki was doing. He looked into the sky with even more determination than ever while he internally kept praying to himself for her safety.

Back at the prison…

Ibuki was still walking down the hall with Don walking by her feet this time. They were five feet away from destiny and fate's door and the young kunoichi just magically changed into her signature ninja dogi, minus the over shirt and head wrap. Her casual outfit was safely transported to Karthaji's cell and she held those clothes in her arms with her life as she continued to watch the scene from where she stood.

Back to Ibuki…

At approximately two feet away, Ibuki stopped and slowly started forming tears of happiness into her chocolate brown eyes. She refused to wipe them away as she took another step. She couldn't believe she was about to do this. Not only for herself, but for Tommy and his family. If she didn't make it out alive, she'll, at least, be honored for her efforts. When she finally reached the door after ten more extremely slow steps, her tears stopped with her and she looked down at Don as the guard on the door's right side started turning the huge dial. On her face, she showed a smile… her first since she took her first step into the prison gates. Don smiled in return and nodded with sincerity before she spoke.

"Well, Don… this is it." Ibuki started. "Remember what I said in the car, okay? Just hang tight until I need you." Again, Don nodded in response before the door finally clicked open and Ibuki stepped inside and what she saw made her feel sorry on one half and angry on the other half.

She saw a grown man at his approximate age of 27 sitting on the floor in a pure white straightjacket and his skin of the typical Caucasian American male was pale in the only one light in the room. His head was clean-shaven of his blonde hair and his baby blue eyes looked up at her with a possessed smile. This never intimidated Ibuki as she just stood there looking at him with her fearless look back online as Don just walked in and sat down like a good tanuki before the heavy metal door closed shut.

"Hey, Govi." Ibuki greeted coldly. "Long time no see."

"Hmmmmm…" Govi hummed in response, bowing his head down in deep thought after looking at her for ten seconds. Ibuki slowly got a few steps closer before she kneeled down on her knees and tried to see his eyes as she continued to speak.

"I came here to make peace with you, Govi… and I won't leave until I succeed. We can do this your way or my way. The choice is yours." Govi was still silent as he kept his maniacal smile hidden in the shadows. "You didn't lose your voice, did you?" Govi's head shook in response. "I thought so. Just hear me out, okay?"

Meanwhile, back at Sarusuberi…

Tommy and Snow were still waiting for Sasha out on the parking lot. Snow was _this _close to falling asleep while Tommy still managed to say on his feet, waiting patiently for his ex to arrive. After about five more minutes...

"Okay, Tommy…" Sasha finally came out with tears of sadness all over her face. "…I think I get it now… and I'll finally admit the truth…" Tommy turned towards her before she finished off by saying: "…I am cheatin' on you with Donovan and we got laid ten times since I met him."

"Uh, huh." Tommy replied, keeping his cool. "I knew you were lyin'. Why keep it to yourself for so long?"

"Because I love you, baby… and I didn't want to upset you."

"Well, my heart is already broken because of you and Ibuki just finished her repairs on it. It's fixed and she's my new love. Try to break me free from her gentle clutches… it won't work."

"I figured you'd say that, so how about we do make some peace around here, huh? I'll leave you alone if you can tell me all about Ibuki. What makes her better than me and why do you love her so much?"

"You really wanna know?"

"Yeah. I'm all ears, Tommy."

"A'ight, but I'm only gonna say all of this one time…"

There was a long pause as Sasha got a little closer to her ex-boyfriend and sat down in a bench across from him, keeping her full attention on him the entire time. As for Tommy, he cleared his throat as he took his seat right before her with Snow remaining defensive, but calm next to his feet on his right.

"…Now, Sasha… ya gotta understand that Ibuki means everything to me. Ever since I first ran into her by accident not too long ago, something about her pierced my heart, but my mind was still on you. Honestly, at first, I didn't know it was her because she had her hair down that day and she was completely anonymous… until my Coach guessed her name correctly. I didn't know what she was thinking when she found out I had you as my love, but I guessed that she wanted me because of how gentle she sensed me to be. Pretty soon, our friendship grew into a relationship and I never looked back at you since. Now, since you already heard about Ibuki and I having sex after our first game, I might as well tell you who started it: Ibuki."

"I figured she'd start it." Sasha muttered. "What? You wanted to see her naked?"

"I'll have to admit… seeing her in a sexy two-piece pajama set wasn't enough to satisfy my taste for her… but that doesn't mean that I only loved her for her looks. I love her because she appreciates me, she sees who I am and I see who she is in return, and she's also the cutest thing I have ever seen. After telling her all about you, she swore to let me handle it alone… even though she desperately wanted to help me. Now, _that's_… what true love is, Sasha… and if you can't imitate this true meaning of love, then maybe you just don't deserve to be loved by anyone other than your family."

"…" This left Sasha completely speechless after that entire speech and there was applause of appreciation echoing through the main halls of the campus as well as the circle of spectators surrounding them, who just happened to watch the entire moment. Bobby, Kendra, and the rest of the Sarusuberi Tanuki football team, including Coach Broderick, happened to be in the thick circle of people, cheering on for his fellow teammate, who made the most touching speech in his lifetime. Despite all of the respectful cheering, Tommy still remained serious, cool, calm, and reserved as he kept his intimidating neon green eyes staring at the speechless, shocked, and pissed off Sasha before him with no sign of sympathy. Snow remained serious as well, but he too also smiled within his soul, feeling appreciated by the applause and cheers.

Back at the prison…

"…and once you were arrested, I knew you weren't finished, even though you were locked up." Ibuki continued, having a slender hand on Govi's cold face this time. He still didn't react to the touch as he kept his head bowed down, hiding his sinister smile. He was still listening to Ibuki's words. "I knew you wanted me just for my body and I'm wondering, even after that horrific event… what's the motive behind all of this raping business you call fun?"

"…" Govi still remained quiet, only replying to the question with a possessed chuckle. This never scared the brave young kunoichi at all, but she still kept her guard up in her mind as she continued.

"I see. You laugh… and it's probably because your only motive… is revenge."

"…ahhh, you seem like quite da smart one, cutie." He finally spoke in a mobster type of male voice. "You would neva undastand the pain that's been caused by a woman's vile behavior. You… all women… are just disgusting."

"That's what you say… and oddly enough… that bullshit doesn't matter to us in this day and age, oldie. You may be only 27 years old, but you're still acting like it's the age of the dinosaurs. Get over it!"

"Watch it, cuteness!" Govi finally raised his head to look directly at Ibuki's adorable face, still keeping that fearless painting on her face. "Still, you're quite intimidatin' fo' a young blood ninja."

"Yeah, ya got that right, dude."

"So… ya wanna make peace wit me, eh? Dat's why ya came ta see me, eh?"

"More than anything… except Tommy, of course."

"And just who is Tommy? Ya new boyfriend?"

"Yes… and it's been finalized… the relationship with him, that is."

"Well… congrats to ya."

"Thanks, but don't let that take you away from our peace treaty I'm about to write down. I want you to put the past behind you and pretend the raping never happened between you and me."

"Heh, heh, heh, heh… I can't say yes to your command, Ibuki."

"What? Why?"

"Because… you can't erase what I've done. You may have survived that rape, but that will never fly away from my brain's cage and neither will it leave yours."

"…But… why do you think women are nasty creatures then?"

"Oh, there's a reasonable explanation for dat…"

Meanwhile, back at Sarusuberi's parking lot…

"I… can't believe you would… say that about me." Sasha finally spoke after a good ten minutes of cheering and applause, making it all become quiet again as they listened in again. Tommy never let down his calm look mixed in with the anger that is brewing inside of him as he spoke.

"Well, it's about time some emotion about yourself finally came into full bloom since I first dated you back in high school." Tommy quoted professionally while he bowed his head with determination. "All of this time, you've done nothing but manipulate me into being your lover and you never touched me along the way. Did you ever notice that?"

"Yeah, I noticed… but that's only because you were never in the mood."

"That's because I really never loved you, but deep down, I still did because I respect you as a woman."

"Ugh! Funny how you failed to mention that before."

"Well, now you know… and now, let's see if all of this will allow us to make peace and remain good friends, or at least, good acquaintances."

"Man, afta hearin' all of this bullshit, I'll have to say no to that."

"WHAT?"

"Look, Tommy… no matter what you say, I'll never just be a friend or whatever the hell you want me to be towards you. You may be dating Ibuki, but she's not gonna keep us separated spiritually."

"You just won't take the hint, will you?"

"I never have and I never will."

"Damn!"

"Ha! I still win this round!"

"Humph! Maybe you and Govi should date each other, then."

"Speakin' of him, why don't we check back on Ibuki and see how that bitch is doing? Now that we see that your peace-makin' shit isn't working, how about we see if she died, huh?"

"_YOU _should die, Sasha!"

"Oooooh, I'm scared." Sasha wasted no time in getting up from her bench and walked back inside the campus with a sly smile on her face, unbeknownst to Tommy as he just sat there with his face within his hands in defeat and agony. Snow gave him a pat on his ankle for the effort and the solemn linebacker smiled slightly in appreciation as he gave the Komodo Dragon a quick pat on the head before followed Sasha back inside.

Back in the prison…

"…That's it?" Ibuki asked with confusion. "That's why you think all women are vile? Because of their constant desire for pure pleasure?"

"Yep. Exactly!" Govi replied. "Ya gots a problem wit dat, cutie?"

"Uh, fuck yeah! We women are not sexy life-sized dolls that are out for some dick all the time! That's a lie!"

"Tee, hee, hee, hee! Niiiice! I love that attitude ya got there, sweetie. Keep it comin'."

"You're gross."

"And you're misleadin'."

"Ugh! I'm trying to make peace here and you spit a horrible lie right in my face?"

"It's all for da sake of my life. Ya wanted ta know da truth and ya found out… and by da way, this peace-makin' shit's not happenin'… not on my watch at least."

"…Govi… I don't wanna hurt you."

"No, I guess ya don't…" Govi made a very uncomfortable three minute pause as he slowly stood up with Ibuki standing up with him and, right when they both stood up completely straight, he finished off by saying in his coldest tone: "…but I can hurt _you_!" And right at that last word, he gave Ibuki a very quick and unexpected head butt right at her nose and she was knocked to the floor unconscious with a bloody nose. This sent Don into panic mode as he squealed with horror before he checked on his owner, who was out cold. Govi chuckled with evil in his heart at his loudest before he shockingly broke free from the straightjacket and this sent the alarm blaring all through the prison, sending the guards on high alert as they busted through the door and saw Govi pointing two loaded .45 caliber pistols at them. How he had the guns was beyond belief to the guards, but they had no time to think about that now. "Heh, heh, heh, heh… I own her dis time. Any false moves from any of ya and she gets anodder round from me."

"Holy shit." One of the guards muttered as he spoke into the PA on his shirt. "Tokyo News, I got a code red in here! Repeat, code red! Ibuki's been knocked out by Govi and he has all of us at gunpoint!"

Back at Sarusuberi…

"This is Valina Kayvos, reporting live from the Tokyo Criminal Facility." Valina started as the TV's sound was restored by Jarlina. Tommy and Sasha just walked back in the room and Tommy remained standing as he focused on the TV while Sasha took a seat right behind him. "I have just received a shocking update from inside the prison! Apparently, Ibuki's peace treaty didn't go so well and Govi has just knocked her out with a strong disagreement! At this point, Govi has the guards and even poor little Don-chan at gunpoint while Ibuki still remains unconscious!"

"Oh, FUCK NO!" Tommy screamed with horror. "Her's didn't work neither!"

"HA! Serves her right!" Sasha cheered. Tommy remained calm, but angry as he tried to avoid making eye contact with his ex as the reporter continued.

"This situation is getting intense in there and, at this point, only Tommy can do something about it. Stay tuned as we continue this coverage of a courageous act gone horribly wrong…"

"No!" Tommy screamed again as he dashed for Bobby and tapped him on his shoulder. "Bobby, we need to get to the prison!"

"That's exactly what I was thinkin', man! Let's go!" Bobby agreed as he hopped up on his feet and dashed out to the parking lot with Tommy and Snow not too far behind. Sasha scoffed at the three boys before she reluctantly followed them outside.

In the parking lot…

Bobby and Tommy just busted through the double doors and approached Bobby's cool blue convertible, having Bobby professionally slide across the hood of the car to the driver's seat while Tommy just hopped in the passenger seat and quickly fastened his seatbelt. Bobby did the same before he started up the car and revved the engine twice, but right at his step on the gas petal after taking off the brake, Sasha managed to sneak a dive right into the back seat, completely undetected to the boys as the car sped off towards the prison.

Back at the prison…

"Easy, buddy." Horace pleaded softly as he just pulled out his gun and took one step forward. "Just… put down da guns and we'll all be cool."

"No!" Govi replied, still keeping his guns aimed at the police. "You all don't scare me in the least and I don't deserve to be here! I treat women right."

"No, ya don't! Ya violate 'em so violently and sexually that you practically kill 'em. So far, ya killed ova fifty women! Dat does let you have a permanent invitation to-"

"SILENCE! I don't need ta hear all dat weepy shit. Once I rape Ibuki again, she'll never wanna get back ta dat Tommy bastard. Ya hears me, punks? Now, stand back!"

On the cold tile floor, Don was still trying as hard as he can to bring Ibuki back to life. He checked her chest for a heartbeat and he heard one. She was still alive, but barely. He tried to give her his distinctive scent by simply wagging his fluffy tail right in her face to see if she'll respond, but before he could receive the results, Govi looked down at the action and cocked his gun as he pointed it at the tanuki, who froze with wide eyes of fear.

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" He demanded at his loudest as he stepped towards the unconscious Ibuki and her shivering pet tanuki as he slowly stood back with caution. "If she wakes up and sees me rapin' her, it's gonna be yo' fur on my jacket, ya hear? Now, get away from her!" At that last word, he gave Don a very hard kick to his side and that sent him flying over the guards' heads and head first onto the concrete floor, sending him squealing in extreme pain at his loudest. Karthaji saw the landing right before her and she panicked, realizing that there was nothing she could do for him.

Back in Govi's cell…

The violent man chuckled with satisfaction as he slowly got down on his hands and knees right before Ibuki's unconscious body and was just about to strip her of her pants, but Don's blood-curdling screeches of severe pain finally reached her live ears and her brown eyes popped open with a gasp of horror as she quickly reacted by using her feet to launch Govi back towards a wall and she flipped up to her feet before she pointed a kunai at his face.

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO DON?" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she just grabbed the collar of his shirt and laid her kunai dagger to his Adam's apple. Govi chuckled for about ten seconds as a response before he forced Ibuki off of him by elbowing her in her stomach, knocking some wind out of her before she curled up in pain, holding her stomach for about a minute before she looked up and saw a gun right at her face.

"If you want him back so badly, how about I let ya join 'im, eh?" Govi taunted before the sound of a door busting open was heard and that made everyone get quiet, except Don, who was still screeching. Ibuki made this her chance to escape and tend to Don.

On her way there, she smiled when she saw Bobby and Tommy already beat her to the tanuki and Tommy just picked him up and cuddled him in his extremely diesel arms as gently as he could, making his Mother and Ibuki smile before him as well as making the audience of inmates jeer out:

"Awwwwwww!"

"Shhh, shh, shhhh!" Tommy shushed to the tanuki, who immediately calmed down his wailing on command. "It's okay, Don. Calm down, man. You're gonna be a'ight."

"Tommy!" Ibuki called out as she just approached him. "You made it… and just in time, too!"

"Yeah, baby." Tommy replied. "I just saw you unconscious on TV and I got worried."

"Aww, Tommy. You really do care about me and Don, huh?"

"Of course. I love you too much to let you die and Don should be like a brotha from another mother to me. Besides, my peace negotiation didn't work out neither."

"Are you freakin' serious?"

"I'm afraid so, Sexy-buki. Sasha's still hard-headed and she still won't accept the break-up. She still thinks I love her."

"Bitch! I can't wait until she's finally out of your life. Personally, I want her ass dead!"

"Same here."

"Boom! There's the Tommy I know! Looks like you've gotten tougher than ever."

"At this point, I want her dead. I don't care how she dies, but I just don't want her to be alive anymore."

"YES! You're finally becoming a real man, Tommy. You do still respect women, though, right?"

"From now on, I'll only respect women who deserve the respect. If a woman should treat me like Sasha does, then she should be treated in the same disrespectful way."

"Are ya'll done?" Sasha screamed in the distance, shocking everyone as they all turned towards her. Snow growled behind her as he just got in and prepared to pounce on her, but as he took his steps, Karthaji whistled for him to calm down and silently commanded him to sit next to her cell, allowing Tommy and Ibuki to deal with all of this. Tommy took a few steps closer to Sasha, handing Don to Ibuki on his way and balled up a fist in anger as Sasha continued. "Tommy, ya better be jokin' about all dat shit!"

"No, Sasha." Tommy replied with bravery. "I mean it… every last bit of it… and there's nothing you can do to make me take it all back."

"Ha! I'm sure there some way to make you take it back…" After that last word, Govi cocked his gun right behind Ibuki's head, making the kunoichi stand perfectly still as she kept her adorable face in cool, calm, and collected mode, still holding her tanuki in her arms. "...if you don't want a bullet lodged in Ibuki's thick-ass head."

"You're the one who's thick-headed, bitch!" Ibuki yelled. Govi slightly tapped the back of her head with his gun as a warning when she moved during her statement.

"Shaddup, ninja cutie. Sasha and I are callin' da shots 'round here." Govi warned as he just aimed his other pistol at her head. "Want me to nail 'er?"

"Naw, Govi." Sasha replied. "Not yet. Tommy, you are coming back to me, no matter what you say."

"I won't let you control me." Tommy protested bravely, balling up his left fist this time. "Why don't you go back to Donovan and maintain your relationship with him?"

"Because I'd rather get into a threesome. That's why."

"Ewww." Ibuki muttered. Tommy nodded in agreement.

"My sentiments exactly, Ibuki-chan." He agreed. Sasha gasped at that nickname as she got in Tommy's face.

"What did you just call her?" She exclaimed.

"Ya heard me. I called her 'Ibuki-chan', the official Japanese symbol of respect… and the sign that Ibuki and I will always be a couple, no matter what you say."

"Ugh! I can't stand you! Well, fine then! If I can't have you, then she can't. Govi, finish her!"

"What? Oh, no… don't finish her!" Ibuki pleaded with shock and partial humor before she was viciously pushed to the ground, knocking Don out of her arms in a state of panic before Govi aimed a pistol at Ibuki's chest and cocked the gun before he said:

"My pleasure."

"IBUKI! NOOOOOO!" Tommy screamed before…

_BANG!__ BANG! BANG!_

It got too quiet after that gunshot and everyone, except Govi, was shocked to see what just happened…

To be continued…

(Oooooh, massive cliffhanger here. That's all I've got to say… oh! And please do review and tell me what ya'll think so far. Thanx!)


	10. Difficult Peacemaking: Part II

Chapter 10: Difficult Peacemaking – Part II

"DON! NOOOOOO!" Ibuki screamed at the top of her lungs with extreme horror after about a good two minutes of silence. It turned out that, right before the shots were fired at specifically Ibuki's chest, Don got right in the path of the three bullets before they made contact to her and he was shot in the abdomen with all three bullets at point blank range… right before his owner's eyes. His tanuki blood slowly oozed out of him as he was being held by a crying Ibuki, who held him close to her, completely disregarding the massive amount of blood staining her ninja outfit. Govi smiled at his handiwork as he placed away his guns and surrendered to the guards, who quickly strapped him in a more secure straightjacket and just held on to him by his arms.

Among the thousands of spectators who witnessed Don's sacrifice, Tommy and Karthaji were the only people, other than Ibuki, who were crying extreme tears of pure sadness. Tommy slowly approached his girlfriend and her unconscious pet drenched in blood and held her close for comfort with his waterfalls of tears still leaking out of his closed green eyes. Sasha and Govi never showed any sign of sympathy, even after Sasha was shocked for a moment. Instead, she chuckled softly while Govi just nodded with satisfaction.

"Eh… not exactly what I was aiming for, but that'll work for now." Govi said with practically no emotion in his tone. This made Ibuki stop her wailing for a moment and looked at him with a deep look of rage while her tears were still leaving her eyes. "Consider those shots a warning, but I have ta admit… you were pretty damn lucky. I was ready to send you to Hell and-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, GOVI!" Ibuki screamed at the top of her lungs in both annoyance and excessive rage. "JUST… SHUT UP! DON'T SAY A DAMN WORD TO ME! You can mock him, you can kick him, and I don't even care if you happen to tease him for his looks… but when it comes to shooting my little Don-chan… you… HAVE REALLY… PISSED… ME… OFF!"

"Awww, if the wittle ninja girl cwying over her wittle stuffed animal? I'm actually glad to see your raging side of your personality for once. When I raped you, you were nothing more than a helpless damsel in distress. Now, look at ya… full of the same anger, rage, and stress that I'm suffering through since I was imprisoned here."

"You have no idea how long I've had him! What if you killed him?"

"Then that's a huge bonus in my book!"

"…YOU BASTARD!"

"My pleasure."

"Grrrrr… you go to motherfucking Hell!"

"I'm already there."

"Alright, pal." A security guard came in, stopping Ibuki from doing anything rash on the way by silently commanding Tommy to hold her back and he obeyed. "I think you've said and done enough. Time for you to go back into your cage, Govi. I have a feelin' ya won't be so lucky next time Ibuki comes by for a visit again."

"I doubt I'll ever see her again after what I just did."

"Damn right, you won't." Ibuki agreed in a cold tone of her adorable voice. She threatened the serial rapist by pointing one of her ninja stars at him before she continued. "Because the next time I visit you, I'll cut you up so bad… you'll desperately beg for your death after that."

"Oooooh, I better not twitch then."

"Humph! Bastard…"

"Alright, in ya go, Govi." The same guard said as he pushed the strapped prisoner back in his room. "Visiting hours are just about over anyway… for you, at least."

"Good." Tommy agreed. "But… damn, Ibuki. At first, I thought you were gonna get shot."

"Me, too." Ibuki agreed as she picked up her unconscious pet and held him close again. "He didn't have to do that."

"That's family, baby girl. Don's treatin' ya like family and sacrificing himself to preserve your life was the bravest thing I've seen that tanuki do since I've met you. Come to think of it, it kinda reminds me of my Mom's story of her risking her life to try to make peace with the North and South sections of Korea. You could've done the same thing for him, right?"

"Yeah, but I guess Don-chan was brave for saving me."

"That's my Sexy-buki. Now, being an animal expert, Don's wounds aren't that lethal, but they will be if we don't act fast. He's losing a lot of blood."

"Then, we better hurry and get him to a vet!"

"Tommy!" Karthaji called out from her cage next to Snow, who was still crying for Don's sacrifice. "You can take him to the shop. There is a medical section in the back. Only your father knows about it."

"Thanks, Ma. C'mon, Ibuki-baby. Don will be safe there."

Seven minutes later…

"Well, shit, dude." Bobby muttered as Ibuki just gently laid her blood-soaked pet tanuki down on a hospital bed and gave him a soft kiss on his nose as a sign of love and a thank-you. "I was just speechless after that ordeal, man. I didn't think Don could make a huge risk like dat. He's braver than I thought."

"He sure is." Karmayah agreed as he gently laid a hand on Ibuki's left shoulder and she was gently pulled back from the bed while Johnnie and Tommy worked together to put the tanuki on temporary life support. "I just saw that update on television and it was just a shocker to not only Japan, but to the entire planet. Ibuki, you have raised a very brave and loyal pet and I actually applaud Don's actions."

"Thanks, Kar." Ibuki replied, holding back her sniffling. "I know he didn't have to do what he did, but he did it anyway. That makes me feel special."

"Do you know why?" Tommy asked while he was inserting a tube of I.V. into Don's front right leg. Ibuki smiled slightly.

"Because… he's part of my family… and he's my… little brother."

"And…"

"…I'm his big sister… and we look out for each other."

"There ya go, baby." The gentle giant just finished the insertion and turned around to face his best friend and girlfriend. "Personally, I think you're lucky to have a pet like Don. Snow is just as loyal, but he can be a happy-go-lucky rebel sometimes."

"That's okay. You do still treat him right and that's all that matters."

"Will you be fine without Don for a few weeks? He should heal up just fine."

"Yeah, I'll be okay."

"Ya sure?" Johnnie asked as he approached the three. "'Cause I know how it feels to be away from yo' pet for a long time."

"Yeah, I'm sure. What I'm concerned about right now… is Sasha. Where did she go off to?"

"Who cares?" Tommy asked. "If she does happen to be on campus tomorrow, I'm sure something will turn up about what happened. In the meantime, I'm gonna let you tell Sarai and Kendra about this while I stay here for a little while longer. I have to do a real prognosis that Don will live without the life support with my Dad until about seven this evening."

"Okay, but when you do finish, can you tend to soothing my nerves, if you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, baby. I'll get right to it when I get there. I promise."

"Thanks, Tommy." After that was said, Ibuki gave her gentle giant a big embrace of appreciation before she gently gave him a small kiss on his left cheek before she dashed back to school with her impressive ninja skills. Bobby looked at the path the girl just took and sighed as Johnnie and Tommy looked on with just a smile.

"Dat's da one thang I like 'bout Ibuki." Johnnie commented. "She can take a tragedy and still keep a smile of confidence on her face, knowing everythang will be a'ight in da end."

"Ya know what, Dad?" Tommy started, keeping his neon green eyes focused on the doorway with his smile. "That's what I love about her the most."

"Awwww, dat's my boy."

Meanwhile, back at Sarusuberi in Ibuki's dorm room…

Ibuki just entered through the door after telling Kendra about everything that's happened in the prison. When she closed the door, she immediately broke into tears as she slowly slid against the door towards the floor and planted her drenched face against her knees. She still couldn't take the severe pain of seeing her own pet get shot right before her eyes and she was just feeling the same heartache Tommy has suffered through as she held her chest, trying to relieve it.

"Ugh! Why do I feel this… pain? It hurts!" Ibuki whined as she continued to cry. "Oh, Don-chan! I can't help but feel like you'll die soon, but I know you're not. Ugh! I need a good drink." Ibuki toughened up, even though she was still leaking tears, and stood up with a brave look on her face as she headed for her mini-fridge and pulled out a tall can of a lethal energy drink. After grabbing the can, she headed to her bed and just sat back, instantly getting into chill mode as she popped open her drink and took a good swig of the mixed fruit flavored beverage.

After three more big gulps, Ibuki looked over at the deserted bed where Don used to sleep and just smiled slightly. She was internally praying that Don will live, even though Tommy told her that he was going to heal up in a few weeks. At this point, Ibuki really didn't care about Sasha or Govi. She just wanted everything to be at peace, but somehow, after five more sips of her energy drink, she felt like fighting… but who to fight was the big question. Her ninja senses were at full swing as she felt Sasha's presence leaving the campus to go back to her hotel. Ibuki quickly took in one final huge gulp of her energy drink and rushed to the window to see what she expected: Sasha heading to her car to leave and go back to her hotel. How she made it back to the campus before Ibuki was puzzling, but at this point, the ninja girl didn't care. She just needed to get the fighting urge boiling like lava in her veins out of her somehow. She quickly changed into her casual clothes, which consisted of her tank top, low rise skinny jeans, kunai chains, tanuki tail on her back pocket, and her cool shoes, before she dashed out of the room and headed for the parking lot in a matter of a minute!

When Ibuki stepped outside, it felt pretty warm for an evening as she took in a fresh breeze before spotting Sasha heading for her car and she just got in. Luckily for Ibuki, the vehicle didn't have a sunroof, so leaping on top of the car was as easy as washing her tanuki. She made that graceful leap with great success, having Sasha not suspect a thing as she drove off back to her hotel with Ibuki hitching a ride on top. The ninja was ready to avenge Don any way she could.

Meanwhile, back at Animals of Happiness…

Johnnie was just on the computer making the diagnosis of how lethal Don's wounds actually were while Tommy just sat right next to the tanuki, who was finally breathing after so long. The gentle linebacker smiled slightly as she saw his chest moving for the first time and Snow was just as happy seeing his best friend breathe. Bobby was already gone back to the campus to talk to Kendra and Karmayah helped Johnnie with the research.

"Yo, son." Johnnie started, keeping his focus on the computer screen.

"Yeah, Dad?" Tommy came in, keeping his attention on Don.

"How do ya think Ibuki's copin' wit dis?"

"She's probably just chillin' back at the dorm. Sometimes, a moment of silence is just what you need to feel a lil' better."

"Dat's true. How's Don doin'?"

"He's breathin', but he's still unconscious."

"Good. Breathin' is a good sign, but, Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

"Why don't ya go on back to da campus? Karmayah and I can take it from here."

"Ya sure? You do know what Ibuki and I are gonna do tonight, right?"

"Yeah, I know… and dat's why I'm gonna let ya go, son. Da second time's always da charm."

"Okay, if you say so…" With that taken in, Tommy stood up with Snow by his feet as he and his lizard walked out of the pet shop and towards the car, but before he reached for the handle to his car, he saw Sasha's car drive by and was shocked to see Ibuki riding right on top of it.

"What the…? Ibuki? What the hell is she doin' ridin' on top of Sasha's car?" With quick protective reflexes, Tommy got into his car with Snow squeezing in the back before he put the petal to the metal and followed Sasha back to her hotel, strapping himself into his seatbelt on the way.

Ten minutes later, in the parking lot of Tiger Paradise Hotel…

Sasha just parked her car into her reserved parking space and turned off the engine before she packed her keys into her pocket, opened the door, stepped out, and then suddenly…

"Hey, bitch from the Southern ditch." An all-too-familiar adorable female voice taunted from behind her. Sasha chuckled as she never turned around, for she knew who that voice belonged to. "Where are you going off to in such a hurry, especially after what happened at the prison?"

"I'm headin' home, Ibuki." Sasha replied. "How did you even manage to follow me?"

"Took a small ride on your ugly car."

"HEY!" Sasha turned around right when Ibuki flipped off professionally and she was behind the woman before she took her into a chokehold and aimed a kunai dagger at her throat. "This car's… ugh… an antique, ya know."

"Do I look like I give a fuck about it? You plotted Don's shooting, didn't you? You knew he would save me."

"Whoa, wait a minute, girl. Don's ass gettin' shot was unintentional. I wanted Govi to kill your ass instead, but your dumb-ass tanuki had to barge in and ruin everythang."

"DON'T TALK ABOUT DON THAT WAY!" At that exclamation, Ibuki made her grip even tighter around Sasha's neck as the kunai was still pretty close to her throat. "Don't make me cut you for this… 'cause I will."

"Then, go ahead. I'm sure a murder charge would be good fo' ya and then, you can spend all the time you want with Govi."

"Ugh! You make me puke!" Ibuki shoved Sasha towards her car face first, making her nose bleed against the driver's side glass, before she placed away her kunai in her back pocket and got into her fighting stance, which was a shocker to Sasha. "Since torture won't work, perhaps a small serving of some ass-whoopin' oughta give you some common sense about what you've done to both me and Tommy since I saw your melodramatic ass on the football field bleachers."

"You're really serious 'bout fighting me?"

"Yeah… unless… you can't fight at all and you'll know that I could kick your ass with just a small snap of your neck."

"Naw, I can fight. I've taken some Tai-Kwon-Do classes after I graduated from high school. I passed with a black belt, girl."

"Good. Let's dance. You're gonna pay for what you allowed Govi to do to Don."

Meanwhile, with Tommy and Snow…

Tommy was still on his way to the hotel, due to the fact that he was backed up by so many stoplights. During the drive, he couldn't help but think about what Ibuki could be plotting hitching a ride on the roof of Sasha's car. While he was in deep thought, keeping his focus on the road, Snow moved himself up to the front and strapped himself into his seatbelt before he guessed the motive by saying in a Stitch-like Russian-accented voice:

"Ibuki-chan's plotting revenge." That statement made Tommy screech to a stop at his sixth stoplight just in time when it turned red. "That is motive, yes?"

"That can't be." Tommy replied. "Govi was the one who shot Don."

"Yes, but it is girl named Sasha who showed no sympathy and commanded him to shoot in first place."

"…shit! You're right! She ain't show no emotion, did she?"

"No… and you may not know this, but during your little conversation with Ibuki-chan, Sasha snuck away with a smile so evil… it reeks of evil stench."

"Sasha snuck out when an evil smile, huh? Did you sense what she was plottin' there?"

"Unfortunately, no… couldn't make trace of it, but Sasha woman is mean and should be terminated."

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Snow… but somehow… I can't help feeling that this whole event is part of Fate's conversations with me. It's like he's playing puppet-master with my life."

"Hmmm… could be… but we shall see."

"Yeah. I'll just keep my fingers crossed." Shortly after that was said, Tommy finally reached his destination at the Tiger Paradise Hotel parking lot and he noticed a huge crowd surrounding a mysterious event. He saw some spectators with cameras and he was curious as he turned off the motor and got out of the car with Snow just coming around the car and sitting down next to his feet. "I hope this isn't what I think it is over there."

"Shall we see?" Snow asked with partial sarcasm as he allowed Tommy to strap on his harness and leash combo before the linebacker took a firm hold on the leash and ran towards the action.

Inside the circle of the crowd…

Ibuki just gracefully leaped into the air and defied gravity as she stayed up and started throwing her famous set of kunai at Sasha, only having the Southern bell successfully dodge out of the way of all of them, before Ibuki just landed back on her feet and dashed towards her for a solid kick to Sasha's chin, knocking her backwards for a moment. When she tried to get herself back into focus, four more blazing fast roundhouses came in contact to her abdomen and she was blown to a different car, causing a dent in the side, before Sasha landed on her hands and knees and just stayed in that position, shivering with extreme pain as Ibuki remained cautious and ready for any surprises while she watched her carefully, keeping herself in her famous fighting stance. The crowd of about thirty men and ten women continued to chant Ibuki's name as they saw that Sasha wasn't getting up anytime soon and, growing into a rage, Ibuki dashed for her, picked her up by the collar of her shirt and was about to perform her Hashinsho combo until…

"IBUKI!" Tommy's deep voice came in as he pushed himself through the crowd like the linebacker he was and held Ibuki back by her arms just in time, making Sasha fall back on her hands and knees. "Ibuki, what happened to ya, baby?"

"Tommy!" Ibuki gasped with surprise as she calmed down. Tommy could tell she was full of rage and extreme amounts of energy and he was just worried about her as he noticed her body drenched in sweat from fighting so hard before his arrival. "What are you doing here?"

"I should be askin' you that, baby. What's gotten into you?"

"I'm sorry, Tommy… but I just had this… urge…"

"And you made it some kinda fierce. How long have you been fighting her?"

"For about fifteen minutes… but I couldn't help it. I just… felt like she deserved it for what she let Govi do."

"I guessed that was the motive, but Ibuki-baby… kickin' Sasha's ass isn't gonna make Don feel better."

"I know that now…" Ibuki started to cry as she bowed her head with shame. Tommy felt her pain as he held her close to his chest, allowing her tears and sweat to stain his dry t-shirt.

"It's okay, baby. You had an urge and that's normal, a'ight? Is it outta yo' system?"

"Yeah… pretty much… but Tommy, I'm so sorry I didn't tell you about this…"

"Shhh, shh, shh, shhhh! It's a'ight, baby girl. It's all over now. Just… let your tears go. It'll be okay."

During the embrace and the crowd admiring the moment, Sasha finally stood up and wobbled a little as she was standing up straight.

"Hey, Tommy." Sasha greeted weakly. "So glad you made it. This bitch was just giving me a beat-down and-"

"Oh, shut the fuck up and save it for someone who gives a damn." Tommy threatened as he gave her the middle finger behind Ibuki, who was still crying within his diaphragm. Sasha was taken aback by that as she slowly approached the two, but Tommy stopped her by giving a soft jab to her left shoulder before he held Ibuki even closer to him. "Don't touch me, don't touch Ibuki… and you won't get hurt no mo'."

"Still on her side, huh? Humph! Fine! Ibuki was lucky to be alive, but one day, she won't be so lucky."

"Oh, I'm sure that won't happen. Now, get your dumb ass in your hotel room and leave us alone for the rest of the week."

"A week? What the hell?"

"Just seein' Ibuki like this just had me all worried and she just needs some time to heal up her emotions as well as her nerves. She's still shakin' from seeing Don gettin' shot. If you mess with her again, you have me to mess with on the side."

"Oh, a'ight… a'ight… I see how you do, Tommy. Fine, then. I leave ya'll alone for a week and see what I do afterwards."

"I'm sure we'll both be ready."

Three minutes later, in Tommy's car…

Snow crawled to the back seat from the passenger side as Tommy just gently placed a still shaking Ibuki down in the passenger seat and strapped her in, giving her another loving embrace afterwards.

"You did what you could, baby… and I respect that." Tommy quoted softly in his girlfriend's ear during the hug. "But, next time, let me deal with her, okay?"

"Okay." Ibuki replied in her cutest as she slowly ended the hug and planted a soft kiss on his lips for about a minute before Tommy ended the kiss with smile and headed back around to his side of the car and got in before he strapped himself in. "Tommy, before we go back to the campus, I gotta confess something…"

"What is it?"

"That urge I had… it didn't come to me naturally. I drank a whole tall can of this energy drink called Energeager. Immediately after I finished it, well… you know the rest."

"I always wondered what you hid in that lil' fridge in our room. I would take a swig of dat, but as a football player, that would be like steroids to my coach."

"Yeah, it would. Trust me. I was soooo full of energy back there… and I'm still full of it. I'm not even tired, even after that harsh fight."

"Really?"

"Yeah… and you do know why I'm telling you this, right?"

"Yeah, I've got a hunch…"

"Uh, oh…" Snow muttered as he planted his face in his front right paw with annoyance and humor all at once.

Ten minutes later, in Ibuki and Tommy's dorm room bathroom…

Tommy and Ibuki were in the shower together and they were both already in a passionate lip-lock as Tommy held her up off of her feet, so he could get more out of her lustful tongue. The hot steamy water added more to the stimulation and they both literally wanted more of each other. When the kiss ended after five slow minutes, Tommy's soft lips moved down to Ibuki's breasts and he just teased her there for a while. Ibuki groaned with passion as she tilted her head back with ecstasy and held him closer to her when she felt his professional tongue swirl around one of her nipples. She finally managed to speak after about three more minutes of Tommy's sexy suckles.

"Tommy…" She started with a seductive drawl in her adorable voice. "…you have… no idea… how good I feel right now."

"Well, baby…" Tommy started as he just finished his suckles and just held her up by her ass, staring deep into her chocolate brown eyes. "…you do know I love you, right?"

"More than ever, yeah."

"Well, I gotta make sure you get that love and make you feel good about it."

"And it's working. How about we take this to the bed, huh? I am so ready for round two."

Two minutes later…

Ibuki's naked body was just laid down onto the bed on her back as she gently grabbed Tommy's face and lured him into another passionate kiss while the linebacker managed to grab a condom from his nightstand with a free hand. Three minutes of the kiss went by and a moan of lust was heard from Ibuki's throat as she felt his other hand take a good soft grip on her right breast. She took in the touch, but never stopped the kiss. Tommy found this an excellent opportunity to sneak his condom onto his dick and he proceeded to that task slowly and carefully with one hand. Just seconds after that, he slowly eased down into Ibuki's wet pussy and that made her end the kiss with a surprising gasp mixed with desperation and lust, already craving for more right after the intrusion.

"Aaaaaahhhhhh, yeah!" Ibuki moaned with passion as she looked deeply into Tommy's bright green eyes. "You sneaky linebacker… haaaaaa, aaaah… fuck!"

"Got'cha good, didn't I?" Tommy replied with confidence as he continued to pump inside of her as gently as he could. "I've been wantin' to do this for the longest time… being sneaky on you, that is."

"Ooooooh, I know that's… aaaah, shit… whew… I know that's right."

"Shhhh! Don't say another word, Sexy-buki. Just lay right there and take me like you want me." After that was said, Tommy's speed got a little faster and Ibuki's fragile body instantly started shaking like a leaf as she was getting near her first orgasm. She showed this very well by quickly grabbing Tommy's neck out of desperation as her alternate heavy breaths and loud groans were getting as fast as Tommy's pumping speed. After five slow minutes, Ibuki screamed at the very top of her lungs as she finally peaked and Tommy pulled out of her just in time to let her release her pleasure juice all over him, the covers, and the bed sheets.

After a good two minute orgasmic ride, Ibuki calmed down and saw that Tommy laid right next to her with a cocky smile. She made the same naughty smile in return before she playfully pushed him down on his back and carefully climbed on top of him while she kept her adorable brown eyes focused on his green ones. When she got on top successfully, she used one hand to find his huge dick before she gently eased herself down and started to grind on him like he was a mechanical bull. Tommy's eyes went wide with both surprise and lust as he saw the young kunoichi's breasts bounce with her at every hop on his dick and he purred in his throat as a verbal reaction, which turned Ibuki on even more as she quickened her pace a little bit.

"Goddamn, Sexy-buki!" Tommy muttered with excitement, keeping his observing eyes on those bouncing C-cup sized breasts. "You were more desperate than vengeful, weren't you?" Ibuki nodded in response to that question as she continued to moan and gasp alternatively between thrusts. Tommy chuckled as he gently grabbed her love handles for support as he continued. "I can tell. Mmmmm… awww, yeah… keep on hoppin', baby. Talkin' about my long hair bein' like a cape. Look at yours."

"But, it does." Ibuki managed to say as she was still riding him, keeping her slender hands on his hard pecs. "You're just… ooooooh… you're just saying that because I look really beautiful with my hair down."

"Heh, heh. Exactly." Tommy started feeling his orgasm building up after that short conversation and he just laid back on his pillow with a sexy growl, making Ibuki quicken her speed even more with a naughty smile.

"Awww, is the big guy getting close? You can't handle my pussy when I'm on top, huh? Yeah… yeah… awww, yeah… I… I'm getting close mysel… helf… haaaaaaa!"

The kunoichi was indeed getting close at around the same time Tommy's peak was building up and neither one of them never wanted to separate from each other. Tommy's moan got even louder after a good ten minutes as he was getting closer and he kept his firm grip on Ibuki's love handles as he helped her bounce faster and with more force out of desperation. Ibuki giggled as she took a good look at his face in between her bounces and just admired how rough he can get, but still keep that gentle touch that aroused her so many times. She was internally proud of him for being the real man he's been working so hard to be since high school and just having sex with him was not only revealing his naughty nature, but it also revealed a sweet side. Having that thought in her head, she groaned with lust as she felt her pussy walls going insane while she quickened her speed even more, leaning her head back with ecstasy.

As for Tommy, he continued to assist Ibuki's hopping session while he managed to keep his sights on her, even though he was drenched in his sweat. As he took a good look at her, he started having deep thoughts about how well this relationship was going. His gentle giant nature has gotten him into pretty good dates in the past, but not as good as this one, which was deemed to remain permanent later on… as in marriage… but he wanted to keep that little surprise to himself until either one of following events happen: when Sasha is finally off of his back or when he and Ibuki graduates, whatever comes first. At this point, graduation was approaching as slow as his accomplishment of finally getting the stubborn Sasha to leave him alone. He promised to remain consistent, patient, tough, and supportive towards Ibuki all at the same time, but right now…

"Aaaahhhhh, shit!" He groaned with even more lust than ever, making Ibuki moan with him. "Ibuki… I… I'm get… getting… clo… hohhh…"

"Ahhh, fuck… ohhhh… ohhhh… shiiiit, Tommy!" Ibuki groaned at practically every thrust as her speed became so fast, the entire bed was shaking as vigorously as they were along with the bed squeaking at practically every move. "Yes… yes… don't… don't make me stop! Ohhhhh, fuuuck… don't MAKE ME STOP! YEAH!"

"UGH! Damn, Sexy-buki… I ain't never lettin' you… haaaaaa… stop! Oooooooh, shit… I'm getting there!"

"Me, too-WHOA! OHHHHH, TOMMY! YES! I… I'M CUMMING! I'M CUMMING, TOMMY! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"AAAAAAAHHHHH, FUCK, IBUKI! OH, GOD! OH, GOD… I'M GONNA…"

Two more minutes went by before they both gasped as hard as they could, froze, and simultaneously screamed out each other's names at the very top of their lungs as they both came at the same time, making the bed squeak even louder as the bed somehow managed to keep their desperate bouncing in perfect balance before Ibuki stopped the hopping with one final push onto Tommy's dick as she made a sultry curve while she leaned her head back with passion, sending her into a world of erotic pleasure, before she felt her juices building up again and forced herself off of him, allowing her passion juice to squirt out of her, off the bed, but missing the sleeping pure white monitor lizard. As for Tommy, he desperately held his dick out with extreme infatuation as his creamy love yogurt was slowly oozing out of him as he was still riding through his most intense orgasmic ride. Unlike Ibuki, he didn't care if he was staining the bed. Just getting his most intense orgasm to release was all that mattered to him. Both of their extremely sexual orgasmic roller coaster rides lasted for a good ten minutes and some change, but Snow still managed to stay asleep throughout that whole ordeal!

About a minute later…

Tommy and Ibuki finally calmed down and they just cuddled their naked bodies together, having Ibuki's head nuzzling under the gentle linebacker's chin with a passionate, but oh-so-adorable smile. Tommy's smile was just as sweet as he looked down at his cute girlfriend and gently stroked her soft skin on her cheeks and played with her long and silky brown hair on the side.

"Damn, Sexy-buki." Tommy started tiredly, still keeping his smile. "You were a desperate fuckin' machine, baby."

"Thank-ya-much!" Ibuki replied in a playful tone. "You were so good yourself. That was the sexiest round of sex I've ever had since Karmayah's famous GIVE technique."

"Thanks, Ibuki-baby. That means a lot comin' from you."

"No problem." Ibuki turned her head slightly to see Snow sleeping so peacefully and she was actually surprised to see this. "Hey, Tommy?"

"Yeah, babe?"

"Snow never woke up, even all that sexy fucking shit that went down earlier. How does he do that?"

"He's famous for not only being the only albino colored Komodo dragon, but also for being the world's deepest sleeper in the animal kingdom. His extreme sleeping is so deep, not even a nuclear bomb explosion could wake him up!"

"Whoa. That's a little too deep, dont'cha think?"

"Yeah, it is… but that's actually good because there is only one thing that wakes him…"

"What?"

"A telephone ringing."

"You serious?"

"Dead serious. It's never happened yet, but one day, it will… and it'll be a shocker to most people. Funny thing about it though… when he does wake up from the telephone, he doesn't get cranky or anything like that."

"Whew! That's good." Ibuki started to yawn after that last statement. "Whew! I'm getting sleepy now. You really wore me out… same for that energy drink. Damn!"

"Heh, heh, heh… you go on ahead and go to sleep, cutie."

"There's a nickname I haven't heard in a while. You sound cute when you say it, though."

"Thanks. Go to sleep now. I need to be gettin' some shut eye myself. Good night, cutie."

"Good night, Tommy. I love you."

"I love you, too." Tommy gave Ibuki a soft kiss on her forehead after that was said and Ibuki made an even more adorable smile before she fell asleep, holding him close on the way. Tommy's handsome smile remained in check as well as he gently wrapped one of his huge muscular arms around her for more comfort before he eventually fell asleep as well.

The next day was to bring more fateful events with Sasha, but this time, since Ibuki nearly kicked her ass…

…payback is going to be a pretty bad bitch.

To be continued…


	11. First Week of Peace: Day 1

Chapter 11: The First Week of Pure Peace – Day 1

Last night was pure bliss for Ibuki and Tommy and even the morning after made the sunrise turn that tragic event of Don getting shot… into nothing more than a bad dream. The beautiful morning sun shot its rays into Tommy and Ibuki's dorm room window and commanded the young kunoichi to slowly open her eyes in an oh-so-adorable manner as she smiled with the same sweetness. Tommy was still fast asleep, not even phased by the heat of the sun's rays, and Ibuki dared not to wake him as she slowly and carefully moved Tommy's warm arm off of her before she pulled back the covers to reveal her naked body before she sat up, rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes. Afterwards, she looked over at Snow lying right next to the bathroom door and he was still out like a light, but he was lying on his back with his mouth open and drool slowly oozing out of his venom-less jaws.

Ibuki shook her head with humor at that sight before she grabbed her robe that was on the floor and placed it on before she walked into the bathroom and took a good look at herself in the mirror. As she was staring at herself, her mind just couldn't get away from that harsh memory of seeing her little brother and pet tanuki, Don, make that risky move of protecting her. Deep down, she actually wished that she could've gotten shot with him without dying so she could lay by his side for the next few weeks, but that meant that she couldn't spend time with Tommy. Speaking of him, she always wondered why the linebacker seemed like he was half-expecting most of the events that have happened since they met, including her first encounter with Sasha, but then, a thought dawned on her:

_Those childhood conversations with Fate… _Her voice started in her head as she slipped off the robe, closed the door, and prepared for her shower. _…He didn't have them for nothing. Somewhere in those small talks, Fate mentioned something about all this… Don getting shot… me beating the shit out of Sasha for that shot… encountering Govi for the first time in so long… that Fate guy is teasing us… and I don't like it. _

Ibuki's face remained cute, but serious as she just got in the shower and turned on the steamy hot water. After a few minutes in, she started to smile.

"What am I thinking?" She said to herself verbally. "Of course, Fate is messing with us. That's life, right? Still… Tommy always seemed like he expected all of this to happen… well… except seeing me beating up Sasha. That he _didn't _expect. At this point, I like him this way. He's really turned around now and Sasha's off of our backs for a week? Damn, it couldn't possibly get any better than that!"

"Oh, really?" Tommy's voice came in outside the shower curtains. Hearing this nearly made Ibuki drop her bottle of body wash as she pulled back the curtains slightly to see Tommy at the sink with Snow leaning up on the counter from the closed toilet seat, getting his small, but sharp teeth brushed by his owner. "Mornin', baby."

"Good morning, Tommy. How… how-how long have you been there?"

"I've been here since you said that I always seemed like I expected everything to happen so far. Personally, I kinda did expect most of these things to happen, except you beating the hell outta Sasha and Don gettin' shot."

"You knew I'd hook up with ya, huh?"

"Of course. I wanted you to… because you are just so damn cute."

"Shucks, I'm blushing."

"Awww, don't get shy on me, baby. Anyway, I knew my conversations with Fate were leading me up to somethin'… and I think I just found it."

"What is it?"

"Ibuki-baby… I knew you were the one for me the whole time."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I knew for most of my life… from age three to today… that you were the woman for me. I just… couldn't get to you in all those years and running into you was exactly the way I wanted to meet you."

"…Tommy!" Ibuki pulled back the curtains right after she finished washing her hair and her body and just looked at the solemn linebacker, who just finished brushing Snow's teeth and just looked in the mirror with a look of serious concern. "Really? I'm… truly the one for you?"

"Yeah… and I'm not just sayin' that. I remember that very specific conversation with Fate back then..."

(Flashback, to eighteen years ago Tommy's crib…)

_I usually have these conversations when I couldn't sleep or if I were to wake up before everyone else. _Tommy's narration continued. _On one night, I actually woke up a little earlier than usual and right before my eyes, I saw an old man that distinctively looked like he could be related to me somehow. He had pale Asian skin, short gray hair, and he always wore a suit. He was actually sitting in front of me in my crib that night and I smiled when I saw him. _

"Hello, Tommy." The man said in a gruff voice to Tommy, who kept his smile. "I have returned for more concerns about your life."

"It's good to see you, Mr. Fate." Tommy replied in his adorable voice. "I have a question."

"What is it, young Tommy?"

"Will I meet a girl who's nice to me and could love me all at once?"

"You mean will you find the perfect girl for you?"

"Yeah. Seeing Mommy and Daddy sleep together kinda makes me wish I could be like that someday."

"You doubt your chances to get a relationship, but I love the way you admire you parents' love towards each other. In that case, yes… you will meet a girl who will care for you, make love to you, feel any emotional pain you might have, and just treat you like every woman should treat a man. Would you like to know her name?"

"Yeah."

"Her name… is Ibuki."

"Ibuki? That super cool ninja girl from Street Fighter?"

"Ahhh, you know her."

"Yeah, I do. I've seen her on those cool old Street Fighter games my Daddy has on his computer. She's kinda cute, Mr. Fate."

"Yes, and that is why I say that you will hook up with her in the future and you will gain so much respect from her. Her background as a ninja will mean nothing to you and she will express her sympathy towards any tragic event you may encounter."

"Wow. I sure do hope so. I like her already."

"The only negative part about this is the fact that you won't be able to see her until you get into college."

"You know I'll be going to Sarusuberi University?"

"I'm sure of it, yes."

"Cool!"

"I knew you'd agree."

(End Flashback)

"As Fate told me all this, I was so anxious to meet you." Tommy continued as Ibuki stood right before him in her bathrobe and her hair styled into her signature ponytail. "You should've seen me back then. I constantly begged my Dad to let me play some Street Fighter III, just to see your face… and I even begged him to search up some sweet pictures of you on a search engine, but in reality, I was falling in love with you at a young age, like a crazy valley girl-ish fan of a cute music star. No offense."

"None taken." Ibuki replied with a smile.

"He really touched my heart at the part where he said that you would feel any emotional pain I might have. So far, you've done all of that and then some… just to make me happy."

"Because… I love you, Tommy. Fate was right about everything from square one and he's awesome for that! But… wow. I… never knew all of this could happen in your life. It seems like you've really been through Hell before you ran into me that day."

"And it's true. Having my Mom get arrested for a crime she would never consider committing was the biggest plot twist in my life. I was raised by her peace and tranquility and my Father's confidence. It's all passed down to me and I can make my future, as well as yours, a whole lot brighter if I keep this up."

"Wow. That… that's cool, Tommy! You must have your philosophy skills from your Mom, too… judging by the way you're talking."

"Yeah, pretty much. Being a football player doesn't seem to affect it at all. I may be rough on the field, but I'm as gentle as a rabbit hopping in a field of grass."

"Same goes for me being a professional ninja. I see where this is going now. I have a feeling that this week's gonna be as quiet as you used to be towards Sasha."

"Speaking of her, we should not see her face nor speak to her during this entire week. If she happens to call me, I'll ignore her."

"Good. In the meantime, can I see Don? I wanna see how he's doing."

"Right before class, huh? Are you sure?"

"At this point, these classes can wait. I just wanna see my little brother and lay by his side for as long as I need. Even though it's only been yesterday, I… I miss him already."

Tommy remained silent as he heard this from his sad girlfriend before he held her close for comfort. His handsome smile explained that he agreed with her and he should let her see Don before everything else. After the two minute embrace, Ibuki gave him a gentle kiss on his left cheek as a thank-you before she walked off to get dressed.

Ten minutes later, at Animals of Happiness…

Ibuki just pulled up right next to the animal store and saw that Karmayah was already there, tending to clean the countertop. She smiled as she turned off the engine and stepped out before she grabbed her backpack, slipped it on, and headed inside. When she stepped in, Karmayah made a sweet smile as he greeted her from where he stood.

"Hey, Ibuki." He greeted. "What's up?"

"I'm here to see Don." Ibuki replied, still keeping her cute smile in place. "How's he doing?"

"Aww, he's doing great." Karmayah paused as he got from behind the counter and gently grabbed Ibuki's hand before he led her to the medical chambers. When they both got there, Ibuki immediately broke into happy tears as she saw that a heartbeat was beeping on the scanner and she saw that proof on her tanuki's moving chest, despite the bandages covering his entire midsection. Karmayah dared not to say a word as he allowed Ibuki to take in this moment. He released her hand and she walked up to the sleeping Don before she grabbed a chair and sat down next to him. She carefully reached one hand to Don's left cheek and gave it the softest massage in history. Upon feeling her touch, Don nuzzled his head slightly towards the same hand and this made Ibuki's happy tears pour out at an even faster rate while her adorable smile grew.

Fifteen seconds went by and Don started to make a small squeal through his closed mouth and this made Ibuki cheer like crazy on the inside, but remain calm and peaceful on the outside. Karmayah was thrilled at how fast the tanuki's recovery was going since Ibuki arrived. He decided to keep it to himself as he continued to watch this touching moment.

Back to Ibuki and Don…

Don squeaked again as he slowly reached one of his paws to that very same hand that was still massaging his left cheek and held it close, giving himself more comfort and love than ever. Deep inside, he missed Ibuki as well, even though it's only been yesterday since he got shot. He didn't let any lingering pain stop him from making his owner happy. He succeeded that objective by finally opening his eyes for the first time since the shots and Ibuki's tears were drenching her tank top as well as her chest and cleavage at this point, but that didn't matter to her.

"Hi, Don-chan." Ibuki greeted in her softest tone, making her sound even cuter than ever. "You're looking good." Don squealed in agreement, making his owner giggle like the valley girl she was. "I'm glad you're recovering so well for someone who took three bullets to the stomach. Ya know, Don… you didn't have to do that." Don made multiple, different toned squeaks as he spoke out his opinion about his actions. Ibuki translated every word as she nodded in understanding. "You didn't wanna see me get shot, huh?" Don found the energy to shake his head in response, even though it pinched his neck a little bit. "Why? Because you realized that I'm like a big sister to you?" Don nodded, disregarding the small pain again. "Wow. I realized that, too. We're practically like brother and sister towards each other rather than pet and owner. Can you, at least, try to say a certain set of three words for me in English? I can understand your squeaks, but I feel like hearing you try out speaking some English. Just say three words for me… those touching three words together… and I'll be more than happy to lay beside you for the next two hours." Don squealed with protest. This made Ibuki giggle. "Okay, four hours." Don nodded in response as he cleared his throat and tried it out.

"…I… lo… love… y…y… you." Don finally said in his high-pitched growling voice. He tried again. "I love you, Ibuki-chan."

Hearing that twice made Ibuki's heart go nuts with all the happiness she could take in as she carefully leaned towards him for a loving hug with her never-ending tears staining his soft fur. Karmayah's smile went wide as he saw this and he nodded with satisfaction before he quietly closed the door to let the two have peace and privacy. Ibuki ended the hug with a gentle kiss on Don's wet nose before she fulfilled her promise by slipping off the backpack before she stood up, walked around to the opposite side of the bed, and found just enough space to get herself comfortable in, laying over top of the covers that kept her tanuki warm. She carefully placed one of her strong, but slender arms around her beloved pet for more comfort and she just laid there with him before she softly whispered in Don's ear:

"I love you more, Don-chan."

Outside Don's medical quarters…

Karmayah just headed back to the front counter to finish his cleaning for about three minutes before Johnnie arrived with his appointment list in hand.

"Morning, Johnnie." Karmayah greeted.

"Mornin', Karmayah." Johnnie replied. "Ya ready ta take on more animals?"

"Even though I'm not an employee, yeah."

"What? Ya don't wanna get paid?"

"Thanks, but no thanks. When I need money, I'll let you know."

"Sounds good ta me. Ya can keep me company… and all dis time, I thought you were workin' here as an employee."

"I have a strong knack for confusing people."

"Yikes. Ain't dat embarrassin' to ya?"

"Not really."

"Huh! O… kay, well… our customers will be here any minute. Better prepare fo' 'em."

"Oh… uh, Johnnie?"

"Yeah?" Johnnie placed down the clipboard and prepared a cup of coffee and was about to take a sip until the albino giant said:

"Ibuki's here." Hearing that statement made him spit out his coffee with shock. "She came here to see Don."

"How long as she been here?"

"For about seven minutes now… and I have a feeling that she won't be outta here for a while."

"Don't she have classes?"

"Yes, but she prefers to stay here with Don for a while. That shooting back at the prison did more than just make her heartbroken and irritated all at once."

"Awww, shoot. Now I gotta tend to her, huh?"

"Not exactly. Follow me." Johnnie obeyed as he started to follow Karmayah to the medical chambers and he opened that very door where Don was being held and he opened it slightly enough for Johnnie to see Ibuki and Don cuddled together in a way that was just too adorable for the father of Tommy to handle, but he actually handled it well as he smiled. "You see? Does it look like Ibuki wants to go back to school today?"

"I guess you right, boy. That's a… my God… that's a pretty damn cute scene there. Are dey… asleep?"

"Looks like it. They look so peaceful. We shouldn't disturb them."

"Yeah, you right, son. Tommy needs ta see dis." Johnnie pulled out his digital camera from his back pocket and turned off the flash function before he aimed for a good shot and then, snapped the perfect picture for his son to see later. "He'll be cryin' happy tears when he sees dis. Knowin' my son, he may be huge compared to Ibuki, but his gentle nature makes him pretty sensitive in some cases."

"That's understandable."

"One mo' question: Did Ibuki say how long she'll be stayin'?"

"Four hours."

"…Awww, that's actually really sweet. Ditchin' her classes for Don like dis. I sure hope Tommy will let his classmates and teachers undastand dat."

Back at Sarusuberi…

"Say what?" Bobby exclaimed after Tommy just explained where Ibuki was and why. "She's stayin' at Animals of Happiness for a while?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied as he continued his research with Snow. "I don't know when she'll be back, but she can stay there as long as she needs to."

"Aww, man. Don must be really close to her, huh?"

"Like a pair of siblings."

"Excuse me, boys…" Professor Jarlina came in. "…I couldn't help overhearing. Did you say that Ibuki is at the pet store?"

"Yeah. She misses Don that quick and she just needed to check up on him, see how he's doin'."

"And will she back at all today?"

"She will eventually… but probably after all of her classes are done."

"Aww, that's beautiful. I'll inform her other class professors that she's absent for personal reasons and allow them to give her one-hundred percent on all of her assignments. Will that make you feel better about it?"

"Much better, thanks."

"Good." After that was finalized, Jarlina headed back to her desk and resumed grading the exams. Kendra just heard all of this and was both surprised and happy.

"She's really staying over there for that long?" Kendra asked. Bobby nodded.

"Yep." He replied. "Personally, I can understand what she's going through. She deserves to stay with him."

"Yeah, I agree." Tommy came in. "But… that leaves me wonderin'… how long has she had Don?"

"Who knows? All I know is that they have a pretty damn good connection towards each other."

"Hmmm…"

Three and a half hours later, after all the classes were done…

Tommy picked up Snow from his dorm room before he headed back downstairs and outside the school towards the bus stop near the entrance when he noticed that Ibuki had taken his car. When he made it to the sign, he just stood there and waited patiently for the bus to arrive. During his wait, Bobby somehow managed to catch up to him along with Kendra, who just so happened to be holding hands for the first time. Tommy noticed this and smiled when they both approached him.

"Hey, Bobby." Tommy greeted. "I see you and Kendra are holdin' hands. You two finally made as good of a connection as Ibuki and I?"

"Yep… and man, it feels good." Bobby replied with a confident smile. "So, where are you goin'?"

"I'm goin' to the Glade of Ninjas. I gotta ask a few questions about Ibuki and Don's unbreakable bond towards each other."

"No wonder you were pretty quiet for the rest of the day."

"Indeed." Kendra agreed. "Will they allow you in?"

"Probably not, but I'll tell them that I'm Ibuki's boyfriend and that I come in peace. I'll be sure to let you guys in, too."

"Good. I'm sure they'll understand once we arrive."

"Pfft! I hope so! I hear Sanjou can get rather serious sometimes." Bobby muttered, rolling his eyes with annoyance.

"That won't happen to us, Bobby. I'm sure of it." Tommy reassured right before the bus finally arrived. All four of them, including Snow, remained quiet as they got in the bus and took their seats.

Ten minutes later…

The bus arrived at a corner near the Glade's location and Kendra, Tommy, Bobby, and Snow all exited the vehicle and proceeded towards the place through the forest of bamboo. After a good short five minute walk, they finally arrived at the huge village and Yuta was the first to greet them.

"Hey, guys." Yuta greeted with a smile. "Welcome to the Glade. Ibuki's told us a lot about you all, including that beautiful lizard down there."

"You already know about us, huh?" Bobby asked with a smile. Yuta nodded.

"Yeah. You guys are awesome. You're taking good care of her… especially you, Tommy. You're her new boyfriend, right?"

"Officially, yes." Tommy replied with confidence.

"Awww, that's cute. Now, what can I help you guys with?"

"I need to meet with Master Enjo and Master Sanjou. I just wanna ask them a few questions."

"Sure thing. Follow me."

Three minutes later…

"Masters?" Yuta called out to Enjo and Sanjou, who were currently training their students. Enjo paused the lesson as he and his assistant paid attention. "We have visitors who wish to speak with you."

"Who are the visitors?" Enjo asked.

"Ibuki's boyfriend, Tommy, his pet, and his two best friends."

"Send them in. Take a break, class." Sanjou replied before he ended the class and Tommy, Bobby, Kendra, and Snow walked into the room before they bowed down to them in proper respect before Sanjou continued. "Welcome to the Glade. As loyal friends and boyfriend to Ibuki, you are always welcome among us. Now, how can we help you all?"

"I just have a few curious questions about Ibuki and Don." Tommy replied as he sat on his knees on a pillow properly as well as Bobby and Kendra did. Snow just sat down next to Bobby like a dog.

"Somehow, I had a feeling you did." Enjo replied. "After hearing about Don's tragic shooting, we were all pretty worried about him and Ibuki's emotions. You may ask when you're ready."

"Okay. First question: When did Ibuki and Don first meet each other?"

"Ah, an excellent first question!" Sanjou replied. "It all started a long time ago. The poor girl grew weary of the constant training she's been through and decided to wander around for a bit with Enjo, not knowing that she wasn't allowed to leave the boundaries of the Glade."

"During our walk, we discovered something we didn't expect…" Enjo continued.

(Flashback)

"Hey, Master Enjo!" Ibuki called out in her adorable seven-year-old girl's voice. "Look at dis!"

"What is it?" Enjo approached the little girl and smiled at the sight before them.

_Ibuki's curious nature led__ us to a secret tanuki breeding ground in a wide open space in the middle of the bamboo forest, which was only a good ten steps away from the Glade. Many of those unique creatures were just simply beautiful and, having them being wild animals, I didn't want Ibuki to get near them… at first. But, then, one tanuki approached us and shockingly, she could talk… just like us. _

"Hello." The female tanuki greeted in a motherly tone. "Welcome to our domain. What brings you here?"

"Huh!" Enjo exclaimed with shock. "You can talk!"

"Of course. I'm the most intelligent tanuki here at Tanuki Haven. Awww, who is this adorable little girl?"

"My name is Ibuki." Ibuki replied with a cheerful smile. The tanuki chuckled at her attitude.

"Awww, she's so cute. My name is Haviji. I would be more than happy to lend her one of my children as a pet, if that's okay."

"I… don't know." Enjo protested gently. "She doesn't even know her way around a kunai yet. I'm not so sure about her having a pet."

"But, I want one, Master!" Ibuki whined as she started to tear up. Enjo shook his head in response before he picked her up. "Pleeeeeeeeease? I promise to take good care of it!"

"Sorry, Ibuki… but you're just not quite ready for one yet."

"Aww, man!"

_Deep down, I felt bad about saying no to Ibuki. She was just too adorable to let down and it just pierced my heart to see her cry. For the next seven years after that, she always led me to that same haven and begged me to let her have her first pet, but __every time, I said no… and every time, the sounds of her crying made my heart and soul cry with her as well. _

_Then, on her fourteenth birthday, she refused to celebrate it, if I were to be present in her sights… and with my constant patrol that day; she refused to leave her room. She suffered eternal sadness on her birthday and that made me feel terrible as I continued to patrol the boundaries of the Glade with Sanjou, who became worried. _

"Enjo, is something bothering you?" Sanjou asked with concern. "We should be celebrating Ibuki's birthday today."

"I know," Enjo started. "But she refuses to leave her room because of me. She's upset because I wouldn't let her have a pet."

"Is that all?"

"But, Sanjou… she's not a little girl anymore… and her ninja skills seem to be getting better. She finally defied gravity and stayed in the air long enough to throw ten kunai before she landed. That's a new record!"

"Well, don't you think she deserves a pet for that accomplishment? Aside from it being her birthday present as well?"

"I… guess… but the girl won't talk to me. I've tried so many times, but I ended up getting scarred by a ninja star through her window every time."

"You have to find a way to get to her."

"Hmmm…"

_I thought long and hard about what to do after Sanjou told me this and I decided to make a small visit to Tanuki Haven, but on my way there, I sensed one tanuki nearby and I heard a rustle in a bush. I looked over there and carefully opened its leaves to see a tiny tanuki about the size of the original Game Boy in length__ from nose to the base of the tail while its tail was nearly the same length. It was a male and he was shivering with fear when he saw me. I carefully picked him up and he curled up into the tiniest ball I've ever seen for his protection. I wanted to pet him, but I thought of another idea. _

_First, I took him back to my chambers, hiding him within the palms of my hands, so nobody would know. When I arrived, I closed the door and searched my quarters for some sort of indication that this baby tanuki would be a present to Ibuki for not only her fourteenth birthday, but as a sign of her recent success of becoming a ninja. After about a minute of searching, I found a decent sized red ribbon. I placed down the tanuki pup on my table before I showed him the ribbon. He made a pretty cute squeal in response to it and he wagged his tail with happiness. I was so proud of myself upon seeing this and I took careful measures before I gently tied the ribbon around the very base of his tail and he actually liked it. He leaped into my hand and licked it as a sign of appreciation before I carefully whispered my idea into his tiny ear. He understood every word and nodded in agreement before he decided to play along with the surprise. _

_Three minutes later, I arrived at Ibuki's door and gently placed down the tanuki pup in front of it before I knocked on it three times and disappeared into a puff of smoke and concealed myself, watching the results. Ten seconds went by and still, Ibuki never answered the door. I was getting worried and was about to try again, but the tanuki pup gained intelligence before I gained a reaction and he waddled to the open window and, even though it was too high, he somehow managed to make his leap high enough for him to grab the edge and pull himself in. When he was sitting on the windowsill, he frowned in silence as he saw that Ibuki was still upset with her crying face in the pillow. The tanuki gathered his courage before he quietly dropped himself inside the room, landing on a pillow to soften his arrival as well as silence it, before he crawled off of it and headed for the bed. Ibuki never noticed him as she just stared at her wall right before her with streams of tears pouring out of her sad brown eyes. The tanuki pup started to feel her sadness and crawled into the bed next to her before he nuzzled onto her face for comfort, but about five seconds upon feeling this, she gasped with fright and backed away with caution, still sitting on her bed. The baby tanuki tried to tell her he didn't mean to scare her by trying the nuzzling again. This time, near her ankle. Ibuki smiled as she took a closer look at him and giggled, which is something I haven't heard in such a long time since she was seven. _

"Well, hey there, little guy." Ibuki started as she watched the adorable baby tanuki continue to give her all the love he could. "Where did you come from?" She reached down to pet his tiny head and he made a cute squeal in response before he leaped for her neck and continued to cuddle against her face, making her cuddle in return with the biggest smile ever. "Awww, you're just too cute. Let me take a look at you." Ibuki paused as she held his tiny body in the palm of her hand and gasped in realization. "Hey! You're a tanuki pup. You must be a present from…"

_That's when Ibuki saw me watching this entire moment from her window and she kept her smile instead of frown upon my sights for the first time in over seven years. __She allowed me in to be certain that this adorable tanuki pup was her present for her birthday. _

"Yes, Ibuki." Enjo confirmed. "As an apology for not being so fair towards you for these past seven years, I wanted to finally give you a pet tanuki as a gift… and as also a reward for your outstanding progress as a ninja."

"Awww, Enjo. This is the best gift ever! I'm sorry I've been upset with you for a while. I just wanted something other than a new weapon for once and not to mention someone I could talk to during my down time. I hope you can forgive me."

"Well, the real question is… Do you forgive me… for being so unfair?"

"Yeah. I forgive you, Master Enjo."

"And I forgive you, Ibuki-chan. Now, what shall you name this pet?"

"Well, I don't know really… but I can sense a demanding personality on him as well as a playful one, so I'll name him… Don."

"That's perfect. He'll be closer to you now… oh, and uh… Happy Birthday, Ibuki!"

_A hug was all I could give her after that and she embraced me in return with cute little Don joining in, of course.__ Peace was restored between Ibuki and I again and her life was much better, despite the fact that she still wanted to be a normal girl. _

(End flashback)

"And that's pretty much how she acquired Don." Enjo finished. Tommy, Bobby, and Kendra were all emotionally moved by the story and even Snow joined in seconds late by crying on Bobby's shoe. Tommy wiped his tears as he spoke.

"You gave him to her as a gift for her fourteenth birthday, huh?" He asked. Enjo nodded with Sanjou simultaneously. "So, Don's still young, right?"

"Yes." Sanjou replied. "Tanukis have a longer life span than dogs, but an even longer life span than us humans. Let's see… how old is Don now?"

"He should be about… let's see… Ibuki's twenty years old now, so Don has to be about six years old."

"Yes… and he's still not quite old yet. Tanukis have the maximum life span of an astonishing 130 years! Ibuki and Don can be together longer."

"Wow. That's cool! So, with that bein' the case, her extremely close connection with Don perfectly makes sense."

"Exactly." Enjo agreed. "The two are literally inseparable. The only way they can be separated is when she has to go to school. Other than that, they are never too far apart from each other."

"Wow."

"Damn, man." Bobby agreed. "That's actually something Sasha would puke about."

"You said it! Thank you so much for sharing that story, Enjo. That answered every question I had in my mind."

"I'm glad to share it to the boyfriend of Ibuki." Enjo replied, shaking the gentle giant's hand in appreciation. "Now, go see her. She's at your pet store, lying next to Don as we speak and she seems to have fallen asleep with him."

"I was wondering why she was taking so long to come back."

Meanwhile, at Animals of Happiness…

Four hours and ten minutes went by, but Ibuki still decided to stay with Don and she opened her eyes after that time frame and still laid there with her arm over her pet's body as he was still sleeping. She gave him a gentle kiss on his cheek before she started to whisper.

"Don-chan, I'm actually glad Master Enjo gave you to me as a birthday present back when I was fourteen." She started. "I was so lonely without you." Don softly squealed in response and Ibuki giggled. "You are a funny animal, though… but I've decided to make it official, okay? I am no longer calling you my pet. You act too much like a human to be one, so I'm gonna call you my little brother from now on, okay?" Don squealed again in response and smiled on the way. Ibuki made her smile even bigger as she held him close to her chest. "Awww, I knew you would agree… and so… who am I towards you?"

"M…my big sister." Don managed to growl and Ibuki held him even closer afterwards, making her happy tears escape like convicts breaking out of prison.

"Oh, Don! I am never letting you leave my side again! That's a promise! You hear me, Don-chan? I literally thought you would die back there! I ain't never gonna let you go ever again! EVER!" The two siblings laid there in tears for the rest of the time after that, already fulfilling that promise.

Meanwhile, thirty minutes later, outside Animals of Happiness…

Tommy, Bobby, Kendra, and Snow just arrived and, to Tommy's surprise, there were customers there, but they weren't in need of any assistance with their pets. Bobby and Kendra were wondering why as well before they all stepped inside, having Johnnie greet them with a pleasant smile.

"HEEEEY! Tommy! You made it, son!" Johnnie greeted with excitement. "What's happenin'?"

"I should be asking you that, Dad." Tommy replied as he took a good look at all of the customers sitting in the waiting room. "What… what's going on?"

"Ain't it obvious? Ibuki's here layin' wit Don and I'm showin' dese customers some pictures I took of 'em. Wanna see… OR… would you rather go on back there and see fo' yo'self?"

"That's why I'm here."

"Well, go on ahead, son. She's all yours."

In Don's chambers…

"Hey, Don?" Ibuki started after their promising embrace. "Remember when I first got my cell phone and you almost thought it was a piece of strawberry cake?" Don chuckled at that question as a response and she giggled with him. "Yeah, you almost cost me all that hard training for that. I was about to punish you for that, but I couldn't back then and I wouldn't try it now. You did put your drool on it though." Don squealed playfully and this made Ibuki blush. "Hey! Don't even mention that to me, okay? Tommy caught me doing that in the shower one morning shortly after I just met him and it was just embarrassing." Don snorted. Ibuki gasped with an offended look. "Don't blame me! I was desperate for him… and for any other boy before college back then. It's your fault you had to lay in the bed with me while I was doin' it!"

"While you were doin' what?" Tommy came in as he closed the door with his famous handsome smile that always seemed to make Ibuki melt, no matter where she was or what she was doing. "That nasty ritual you call 'Self-Pleasurization'?"

"First of all, it's called Masturbation!"

"Aahhh, so I stated that correctly!"

"Oops! Goddamn it. Well… either way you call it, yeah. That's what me and Don were talking about. I'm guessing classes are over."

"Yeah. They accepted your absence and gave you a hundred percent on all your assignments."

"Awww, Tommy. You are a saint. Why don't you come over here and give your Sexy-buki some sugar, huh?"

"You read my mind, baby." Tommy didn't waste any time approaching the bed and, being careful not to crush Don underneath him, leaned over and gave Ibuki a gentle kiss on her lips for about a minute before they broke away slowly… very slowly… before Tommy took his seat. "Mmmmm, damn, girl! Even at a serious time like this, you never back down from a kiss from me."

"Because you have the sweetest and softest lips I've ever felt in a while. So, what's up?"

"I just left the Glade. Enjo told me your sweet tale about how you and Don met and I gotta tell ya, baby girl… you touched my heart."

"I knew I would. Don's connection towards me grew too quick and it was just a marvelous thing to happen in my life. He's never leaving my side ever again."

"Would you risk your life to save him, just like he did towards you yesterday?"

"Totally! It's called payback… and I don't care what hits me… as long as Don doesn't get hit."

"That's my girl. Now, second thing… since you say Don is like a lil' brother to you, is it gonna stay that way, no matter what people think?"

"You betcha! People might look at me like I'm a crazy bitch, but I know he's my pet. I just feel much better calling him my little brother instead. Makes me feel honored to have my little Don-chan."

"Wow! At this point, you already are honored."

"Heh, heh… yeah. So, did you hear from Sasha?"

"Naw. She hasn't called me at all today. You must've really done more than just kick her ass."

"She deserved it! Geez! How could you handle her in high school?"

"Personally, I don't know… and I don't even know why I hooked up with her in the first place. My mind was just desperately searching for a woman in my life for me before my heart could get the chance. I guess I… let the fact that my Mother was in prison get the best of me when it comes to my decisions."

"Don't let that get to you too much, Tommy. It's not good for you when it comes to the health of your common sense. If you want your beautiful Mother out of that prison that bad, why do you try to do something about it?"

"I like what you're sayin', baby… but I can't have too many issues weighing me down."

"I hear ya. So… wait a second! This job… this pet store… was this… made out of-"

"I already told you that my Mother came up with this idea, but now, it's a motive to raise enough money to afford a lawyer to represent my Mother. That's basically my main goal for now… financially."

"Oh, okay. So, back to the 'too many issues' part, you're talkin' about Sasha, right?"

"Yeah. She may be off our backs for the week, but it's also Govi we need to get rid of as well."

"Ugh! That motherfucker… if I wasn't so scared of his face, I would've snapped his neck ten times before slashing his face into a bloody inferno by now!"

"Damn! You want him dead _that _bad, huh?"

"You know I do! He's really gonna pay for shooting Don."

"By any means, right?"

"Totally!"

"Hm! Of course."

Five minutes later…

It was finally about time for Ibuki and Tommy to head back to Sarusuberi because Tommy had football practice due in the next ten minutes. Ibuki gave Don one more gentle kiss on his wet nose while Tommy gave him a soft noogie on his head before they both left Animals of Happiness with smiles on their faces and their hands held together as they walked out to Tommy's car.

"Hold it!" Ibuki said all of a sudden as her ninja senses kicked in and looked towards the path to the prison on her right. Tommy was confused as he looked in the same direction, trying to figure it out. Before he could ask a question, Ibuki beat him to a response. "I sense some extreme evil somewhere and it's not pretty."

"Of course, it's not." Tommy agreed. "What evil do you sense, baby?"

"I… I'm not really sure, but whatever it is, it's making me queasy. Ugh! Let's hurry up and head back to school before I lose my lunch."

"Couldn't agree with ya more, baby girl."

Fifteen minutes later, outside in the Sarusuberi Football Stadium…

Ibuki was sitting with Kendra in the sidelines, watching the team practice for their next game. Kendra just saw how fast Bobby caught the passed football and run to the end zone and she was internally infatuated. Ibuki just couldn't get her mind off of that extreme evil she felt at the prison. Something certainly wasn't right, even though she and Tommy were completely at peace for this week. She kept a smile on her face on the outside, but remained serious on the inside as she continued to watch practice with her best friend.

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Criminal Facility…

Sasha was just permitted to speak with Govi in the cafeteria where five guards watched them carefully… well… preferably Govi… as the conversation began.

"What the fuck happened yesterday?" Sasha started with anger.

"I know what I did, alright?" Govi replied. "It was Don's own fault he got shot. I'll be sure to kick him outta da way next time. How 'bout dat, eh?"

"Ugh, fine. You promised me this whole thing could be easy. I managed to find Tommy, but getting him back is gonna be harder than ever now!"

"I neva said it was gonna be dat easy! Ya came here ta see Tommy and ya did! Let's just leave at dat, eh?"

"No! I want him back, no matter what! I don't care if Ibuki's in the way. I get her outta my way… by force if necessary."

"Fine. Ya don't need me anymore den, huh?"

"Oh, no… I do need you. Ibuki's scared of you. Remember?"

"Dat's only because I raped her sexy ass."

"Exactly. So, with that being the case, she can back off, no matter how brave she might get and I can get Tommy back by remembering this about him: He's a Mama's boy."

"He is? He sure doesn't look da part, missy."

"Oh, but I know him very well to know this for a fact. You wonder why he's been so determined to get his Mom outta this prison after hearing that you are here with her. Think about it, Govi. If we can hatch the perfect scheme to lure Tommy here without Ibuki by his side, then I'll get him back in no time."

"Hmmm…"

"And even though I may be off of their backs for the rest of this week, that won't even matter because they'll never know that we're creating the perfect plan."

"Mm-hm?"

"And besides, after that whole ordeal with Don getting shot, my best friend, KaTima, totally left me and went back to Seattle without me. I'm lonely without you now."

"Well, why don't you just save us the trouble and get with me now?"

"Because… I want Tommy, not a serial rapist! You must be high!"

"Just thought I'd ask. I knew what your answer would be. I was just curious."

"You are so weird… it's relatable towards my personality."

"It's who I am. So, what is this very plan you're talkin' about? I'm all ears."

"Okay, Govi. You listen… and you listen well because I'm only gonna explain this plan… only… once…"

To be continued…


	12. First Week of Peace: Day 2

Chapter 12: First Week of Pure Peace – Day 2

Even though it's been only yesterday since Sasha was deemed forgotten by Tommy and Ibuki, it seemed like more than that for Tommy especially. His love for Ibuki has grown to its full extent since they met and it has never died down. At this point, he realized that nothing… and he means _NOTHING_… will separate them. On day two of not having to deal with Sasha, Tommy spent most of the morning hours trying to contact his Mother's lawyer to see if he could assign an official court date, but so far, he had no luck as he sat there at the edge of the bed in nothing but his boxers with his face in both palms of his hands. Ibuki sat up just seconds after he plopped his cell phone on the floor by his feet. She was wearing a black pajama tank top with matching panties as she pulled back the covers and crawled up to him with a look of concern on her face.

"Tommy?" She started as she just sat on her knees next to him on the bed. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Ibuki-baby." Tommy replied. "I'm fine. It's just that… getting my Mom's lawyer is harder than I thought. He's outta town at da wrong time and he won't be back fo' another two months."

"That sucks. In the meantime, though, we're actually making good progress with Don's health, right?"

"Yeah, we should be." As if on cue, Tommy's cell phone rang and he reached down to pick it up and answer it. "Hello?"

"Yo, Tommy!" Johnnie came in through the other line. "You ain't gonna believe dis, boy! The sheriff of the police department wants to speak ta Ibuki about Don."

"Say what now? Are you serious?"

"Yep. He wasn't at the prison when he got shot, but he saw the whole story from his office TV. He says he has somethin' to help da lil' tanuki."

"Awesome! Ibuki and I will be there shortly. Tell him to hang tight!" After that, he hung up the phone and looked over at Ibuki with his heart-melting smile that the young kunoichi loves so much. "Guess what, baby?"

"What?" Ibuki asked.

"The sheriff wants to speak to you about Don."

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. It'll probably be something really important."

"I hope so."

Fifteen minutes later, at Animals of Happiness…

Tommy and Ibuki, dressed in their respective casual clothes of a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and brown combat boots and a yellow tank top, yellow low-rise skinny jeans, and black and yellow sneakers, approached Johnnie and the sheriff, who already had two special boxes sitting on the counter. Tommy allowed Ibuki to get closer to the counter as the sheriff spoke.

"Ah, you must be Ibuki." He greeted as he extended a hand out for her to shake. "My name is Sheriff Kenvys. I've heard of Don's tragic sacrifice to save you and I was just emotionally moved by his actions. Since you are the owner of such a brave pet, I want to establish a special charity for him."

"Really?" Ibuki asked as she just finished shaking his hand. "How come?"

"Well, judging by what Johnnie told me, the bullets that injured the tanuki are deeply lodged within his abdomen and there is a safe surgical procedure to remove them, but it would cost this pet store to shut down, due to the extreme cost of the surgery. So, I would like to give you two rewards to help you out with the donations. The first…" Kenvys paused as he opened the first box and pulled out a brand new ultra thin laptop with a webcam implanted above the screen. Seeing this made Johnnie gasp with jealously as the Sheriff continued. "…is this. This is the latest energy efficent laptop only we in Japan can aquire. It's called… the Dragon Droid X5… and it's all yours." Ibuki carefully took the laptop and nearly cried with happiness as Tommy smiled with appreciation while he volunteered to take the charger and headset that came with it. "You're ecstatic so far, yes?"

"Totally! So, what can this laptop help me with?"

"You can create a virtual journal by announcing many thoughts you have to the public through the webcam… or if you prefer to just simply chat with the people who make the donations, you can use the headset and accept their offers. Either way, many people would just love to help poor little Don receive this life-saving procedure. You have to raise up approximately six hundred thousand dollars in order to pay for the surgery."

"Wow. How come it cost that much to remove three little bullets out of Don's body?"

"It's a brand new procedure that's never been performed on animals before and this could make the history books if it turns out to be a success."

"Oh. That makes sense. So, what in the second box?"

"Anxious, are you?"

"Duh!"

"Well, let's see now…" Kenvys paused as he opened the second box and pulled out a box that said 'Virtual Monitor' on it. Ibuki smiled at the look of that device as the Sheriff continued. "… you can clearly see the name of this device. Virtual Monitor is the latest in supervision technology. No survailence cameras are needed to install in Don's room with this. Just place on these goggles and you'll see Don from right where you stand… no matter where you are."

"That's… that's awesome!" Ibuki just couldn't stop crying as she carefully placed down the laptop on a table on her left before she took the box and opened it to reveal a small pair of goggles. "Can I… try it out?"

"Even though you're here, you can." Ibuki didn't say a word as she carefully placed on the comfortable goggles and in less than five seconds, she saw Don sleeping right before her eyes. She tried to reach a hand out to him and she was shocked to see that she could actually touch him, even though she wasn't really there. That made her tears pour out of her cute brown eyes like a pair of waterfalls and Tommy nearly cried with her as he spoke.

"That thing's a lil' too real, ain't it?" Tommy asked. Kenvys nodded in agreement. "Wow. She'll be a happier camper now."

"Indeed, she will. I… hope these things won't ruin your loving relationship with her."

"Naw, I can help her out… but let me ask you this. When Ibuki raises enough money for Don's surgery, do you think I can use this charity to help me raise enough money to get a new lawyer to represent my Mom?"

"Yes, of course. What do you want to call this charity?"

"Uh, I think that's a question for Ibuki."

"Huh?" Ibuki babbled upon hearing her name as she took off the goggles while drying her tears. "Did you say somethin'?"

"Yes." Kenvys replied. "I nearly forgot to ask you. What do you want to name your chairty… especially since it will also help Tommy get a new lawyer for his Mother once Don's surgery is complete?"

"Hmmm…" Ibuki kept the stylish goggles on her head, trying to be like Sarai, as she thought hard about the name. "…how about… TanukIbuki Haven?"

"Sounds good. Tommy, what do you think?"

"Another catchy blend with your cute name, huh?" Tommy commented as he gave Ibuki his most passionate hug. Ibuki nodded in agreement as she embraced him back. "I love it. That's a name that can stick, no matter what we're raising money for."

"Excellent. I shall make it official then. We'll start up the donations by this afternoon, during your Study Hall, and you can access the website anytime after that."

"Thank you so much, Sheriff." Ibuki thanked with a smile that any man would surrender to. "I… I really don't know what to say. I never thought you cared."

"Are you kidding? We respect you and your Glade. Any part of it, including Don, will be honored from our force."

"Thanks."

"Now, you two better get to class. You have less than ten minutes to spare."

Five minues later, back at Sarusuberi...

Tommy and Ibuki just arrived at their Chemistry class with Ibuki still wearing the stylish purple and blue Virtual Monitor goggles on her forehead and Tommy carrying her expensive laptop safely before they arrived at their seats. Snow was at his feet, of course. Bobby and Kendra were relieved to finally see Ibuki after two days of tragedy for her. Same for Professor Jarlina.

"Ibuki, it's so good to see you again." The Professor started with a smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Ibuki replied as she settled her laptop on her table in front of her after Tommy plugged it in for her. "Don's recovering at a very slow pace, but he's doing okay."

"Awww, that's a relief. Now, as far as our Komodo dragon research goes, only Ibuki and Tommy have acquired most of the information. This project is really getting better, despite everything that's happened."

"Ugh! No kidding!"

"Now, Tommy… I'd hate to ask a personal question in front of your classmates, but how has Sasha been treating you?"

"Personally, she's been treatin' me like Hell broke loose with her." Tommy replied with a look of anger. Ibuki's face followed suit as she kept quiet and allowed her boyfriend to continue. "She didn't give a damn about Don back there and that's not the worst part. Ibuki explained her little fight with her and she told me that the motivation behind the fight, other than her energy drink, was the fact that Sasha wanted her dead… which kinda… disturbs me… in a horrifying way."

"Same here. Is Sasha _that _desperate for your heart?"

"Apparently, yeah. Ibuki, remember you sensed somethin' evil on our way back one day before I had practice?"

"Yeah." Ibuki replied. "I can still sense it."

"Can you make out what it is now?"

"I wanna say yes, but I can't. I just know that this evil is too much for my ninja senses to handle. Ugh! I'm starting to feel sick to my stomach about it."

"Well, maybe we should stop talking about it, then, huh?" Jarlina suggested, but Ibuki protested… which shocked Tommy. "No?"

"Mm-mm!" Ibuki held her stomach with nausea as she allowed her senses to kick in and she slowly stood up and headed for the empty trash can next to Jarlina, preparing herself for the sickening results. "Sasha… she… she's teamed up with Govi and… ugh… she… she's planning to… to…" Ibuki made a gut wrenching gag after that and her head was nearly in the trash can, but nothing came out… yet. She held it in as Tommy slowly stood up and took a closer look at her, but Ibuki stopped him from getting too close and he stopped at about five feet away from her as she continued. "…Tommy… I think… urp… I think letting her leave us alone for a week was a… ooh… a bad idea…"

"Oh, hell no…" Tommy gasped as he got a little closer to his sick girlfriend. "…it's Fate. He's got somethin' brewin' this time and I don't think I will expect this one… but are you sure? Sasha teamed up with Govi?"

"Yeah." Ibuki finally vomited into the trash can after she said this and this made Jarlina take a step back with caution before Tommy came up to his sick girlfriend and gently rubbed her back for comfort.

"Oh, dear!" Jarlina exclaimed. "Her small body hasn't grown accustomed to those sensitive ninja senses, huh?"

"No, it's not that. It's just Govi." Tommy protested softly. "She's gotten this sick before when I just mentioned that my Mom was in the same prison as him. She had a pretty horrifying experience with him."

"Oh, I see… well, will she be okay when she finishes?"

"Yeah, she'll be okay. She healed up quickly last time."

Meanwhile, outside the same classroom window…

Sasha was peeping in on what was happening with Tommy in his class and she was shocked to see Ibuki throwing up over sensing Govi. She nearly gagged herself, but soon, she gained strength and a revelation. She snapped her fingers in realization as she headed back to her hotel by her car.

Back in the classroom…

Ibuki just finished vomiting and slowly stood up, allowing Tommy to wipe her mouth with a paper towel as he continued.

"She's been through the worst five minutes of her entire life with the man." Tommy continued. "That's how her virginity was broken."

"Oh, my! Are you sure?" Jarlina asked with shock.

"Would I lie to you at a time like this?"

"I guess not."

"Ibuki, since you just said that Sasha and Govi are teaming up, do you think everything's just getting worse at this point?"

"Yeah." Ibuki replied as she took her own paper towel and wiped her own mouth. "They're cookin' up a scheme and it's worser that El Fuerte's cooking."

"Damn."

"Just to be safe, let me pursue the two after school for a while. While I'm out, I want you to speak to your Mom through your phone."

"You sure you wanna do this?"

"Um, Ibuki? Tommy?" Jarlina came in with concern.

"Yes?" The two serious students replied together.

"This isn't the best time to discuss this. Please save it for after class, okay?"

"Sorry."

Two hours and two classes later, in lunch…

"Okay, Tommy." Ibuki started in a whisper as she just opened her Bento. "I have the stomach to explain this time."

"Take your time, then." Tommy warned as he just took a bite of his garden salad.

"Okay. That evil I was sensing… it was something much worse than I expected. Govi and Sasha did team up, but the fuzzy thing about this is that… I can't make out their secret plot."

"I was about to say because it's a secret, but I bet it has something to do with Fate. I may have stopped those conversations with him, but he's still driving me up the wall."

"Maybe that's just it. You need to speak to him again."

"I don't know. I've grown out of it years ago. I don't think I can. Maybe it's _you _who needs to talk to him now."

"Me? Why do I have to be involved?"

"It makes perfect sense. If you get sick at practically every moment you mention Govi, then it's not your body. It's Fate. He knows what you've been through and he's making you suffer."

"…huh!" Ibuki didn't want that to prove her point, but it actually did. She could handle her ninja senses very well, ever since she first acquired them when she was three and mentioning Govi this time didn't make her puke. So, it was Fate making her sick. Not her thoughts or her senses. "Well, damn. I guess you couldn't be more right than that."

"That's because I've had a childhood experience with him."

"So, how can I talk to him?"

"You could just fall asleep or if you meditate hard enough, he'll come to see you outside of your dream state."

"Will you see him?"

"I doubt it."

"Hmm…"

"Don't worry, Ibuki-baby. He may sound like a bad guy, but he's actually quite nice. He'll keep your conversation brief and straight to the point without yelling at ya."

"I hope so. This could be the start of my virtual diary videos."

"There ya go. Speakin of, how about we check out the site?"

"Sure." Ibuki pulled out her laptop right at the same time the rest of Tommy's football team arrived at the same table. She opened it and, as if the laptop heard them, it automatically pulled up the website called TanukIbuki Haven Donations. It was decorated with a good theme color of brown and white with multiple old pictures of Ibuki and Don all over the site and this left the young kunoichi wondering how they found them. "Wow! That was cool. I didn't even need to click on the web browser."

"The site looks great. Awww, these pictures of you and Don are too cute, baby. You two _are _that close, huh?"

"You betcha!" Ibuki clicked on the link that said 'Virtual Thoughts' and it took her a site were there was nothing but a screen and her webcam picked up her image. "Awesome! I know I'm gonna spend some hard time with this."

"Just take your time with it. Express any thoughts you got and just go for it."

"…" Ibuki kept quiet as she closed her eyes in deep thought and kept that look of adorable determination when she opened her eyes.

Another two hours and two classes later, in Ibuki and Tommy's dorm room…

Ibuki just got comfortable in her computer chair, still dressed in her v-neck t-shirt and low-rider jeans as she just turned on her webcam site and remained serious as she spoke to the world.

"Hello, everybody." Ibuki started. "You all should know my name by now and at this time, Don is suffering. Those three bullets are lodged in his body and he could use some support from you all… at least twenty dollars per person. But, the real subject to this first diary entry is… um… well, Fate has really dealt with my life as well as my boyfriend, Tommy's. Govi is my arch enemy now and I'm trying to do everything in my power to get rid of him, but Fate kicks me in my cooch and makes me puke every time I mention him. I need to have an actual conversation with this… Fate guy… and see what comes up. Tommy had these conversations before and… uh… he… he took them very seriously and for a good reason. I won't say that reason because it would ruin him, but you will find out eventually. In the meantime, please do everything in your power to help my precious Don-chan. He won't be able to live very long without the life support and I need at least six hundred thousand dollars for the new surgery. I'm not rushing you into it, but please take some time off to make a small donation. This is Ibuki-chan… signing off." After that was all done, she clicked out of the site and sighed with relief, glad to get those thoughts out of her chest. Tommy just stepped out of the bathroom five seconds later and smiled as he saw that Ibuki was leaned back in her chair with relief.

"How did that feel, Sexy-buki?" Tommy asked calmly.

"Felt as good as you… if you know what I mean." Ibuki replied with a sly smile. Tommy chuckled at how cute she can get, even in a moment like this.

"I'm glad, so now that you got that straight, how about you go ahead and fulfill your promise to check out and see what Govi and Sasha are up to while I call my Mom?"

"I'm on it." Ibuki stood up from the chair and grabbed her backpack, but before she could make it out the room…

"Ibuki?"

"Yeah?"

"You know you're still wearing the Virtual Montior goggles on your head, right?"

"Yeah, I know. Not only do they let me see Don anywhere I want, they're just as stylish as Sarai's goggles. I don't know why I never tried out this style before. It's awesome!"

"Figures."

Meanwhile, at Sasha's hotel room…

Sasha just picked up her cell phone from her pocket as she took a seat on her bed and dialed the prison's number. After three rings, a security guard answered it.

"Hello?" Horace answered.

"I would like to speak with Govi please." Sasha replied, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"Who is callin'?"

"Sasha."

"Ohhhh, no. I ain't fallin' fo' it! You ain't talkin' to dat crazy criminal, bitch!"

"But, it's important!"

"If it's that important, maybe ya should try to visit. I dare ya!"

"Ya know what? Maybe I will!" After that, Sasha hung up her phone and headed back outside to her car and made her way to the prison.

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Criminal Facility…

Horace just hung up his phone and sat back in his chair was relief, but still kept a look of worry as he thought about what would happen when Sasha does decide to visit. In the meantime, he was about to take another good nap until his phone rang again. He picked it up fast, but sighed when he heard it was Tommy on the other line this time.

"Hey, Tommy." Horace greeted. "How's Ibuki doin' since Don got shot?" It was in a split screen conversation as Tommy spoke.

"She's been doin' okay." Tommy replied. "She learned to cope with it and just pray for his safety. His life support is only gonna keep him alive, though. Those gun shots did more than just make him unconscious for a little while. The bullets are actually stuck in his abdomen and surgery is the only option to get them out."

"Aw, no! Poor lil' guy. How can ya afford dat surgery?"

"The sheriff of the police department offered to establish a charity to help us raise enough money for it. We're callin' it TanukIbuki Haven."

"Sounds good ta me. Now, let me guess why you're callin'… ya wanna speak ta ya Mom."

"You read me like a book, dude. Can you put her on the line?"

"Sure, no problem. Hold on." Horace paused the phone call as he reached for the intercom and announced over the PA: "Karthaji Jones, ya got a call on line two!"

In Karthaji's cell…

The peaceful mother of Tommy heard the announcement loud anc clear and she picked up her wireless phone from her table charger and answered it.

"Hello?" Karthaji started in her sweet voice Tommy loved so much.

"Hi, Mom." Tommy greeted in a playful manner again, making his Mother smile. "How are you doin' since the shootin'?"

"I should be asking you that about Ibuki."

"Well, she's doin' good. That's the reason why I'm callin' ya. Ibuki became a victim in Fate's play and I think those conversations you hate so much are coming back… for her."

"Oh? Why do you say that, honey?"

"Remember when you told me that Govi is in the same prison?"

"Yes… and Ibuki became ill with vomiting."

"Yeah, well… it happened again… during class."

"Oh, no! What happened?"

"She sensed something evil that happened somewhere not too long after Don's shots. Sasha and Govi teamed up for some reason, but Ibuki couldn't sense what the plot was."

"Hmmm… it's Fate alright. He's messing with your life as well as Ibuki's."

"Well, he did tell me that Ibuki would be _the _woman for me, but I never thought he could be so hard on her. Is this his way of making his point that Ibuki doesn't stand a chance against Govi again?"

"Probably, but I wouldn't keep my hopes up. Ibuki will probably have to chat with Fate this time and see what he'll tell her. In the meantime, I should give you an update on how Govi's been doing since he shot Don."

"I'm listenin'."

Meanwhile, at the Glade of Ninjas…

Ibuki just arrived, hoping for an emotional homecoming since Don's been shot, and after three minutes of her arrival, Sarai was the first to approach her with a look of sorrow before she immediately gave her long time best friend a hug.

"Ibuki!" Sarai started with worry. "We heard about Don getting shot. Is he okay?"

"He's fine." Ibuki replied. "At least, he can breathe."

"Oh, man. What a bummer that was. I was so worried about you! I've heard of that Govi guy. He really did a number on you, didn't he?"

"Yeah." Ibuki's nausea came back as Sarai said his name within her statement, but she ignored it as best she could as she continued. "But, let's not talk about it, okay? How has the Glade been doing since the shooting?"

"I just recently showed them your website called TanukIbuki Haven Donations and they decided to contribute to it."

"Really? That's awesome!" Ibuki's sickness went away immediately after that was said.

"Yeah, tell me about it! They know Don was a special animal towards you, girl. They respect you just as much as they respect Don and I can't be left out of the respect circle!"

"Awww, thanks, Sarai."

"No problem, girl." Sarai just noticed that Ibuki was wearing the Virtual Montior goggles on her forehead and she giggled at the way they were worn. "Nice goggles, but did you have to wear them like mine?"

"Tee, hee. I was hoping you would catch that. These are actually Virtual Monitor goggles. I can check up on Don from just about anywhere just by simply slippin' them on."

"Aww, that's cool! Can I try 'em?"

"Sure." Ibuki carefully slipped off the goggles and handed them to Sarai as she placed them on and in an instant, she could see Don sleeping peacefully in the medical quarters of Animals of Happiness. "Aww, neat! Don's sleeping so peacefully here, but my God! Those bloody bandage wraps on him really do show how lethal those gun shots were. I'm guessing that's the life support, right?"

"Yeah." Ibuki replied as she noticed Master Enjo and Sanjou approach the two girls. "Hey, Master Enjo and Master Sanjou."

"Welcome back, Ibuki." Master Enjo greeted as he gave his best student a loving embrace. "I see you're doing well, even after Don got shot. How is he doing, by the way?"

"He's doing well, but not too well, I'm afraid. Life support is the only way to keep him alive at this point."

"And I can sense why."

"Masters, I gotta confess something…"

"What is it, Ibuki?" Master Sanjou asked. Ibuki bowed her head as she grew nauseated again, but fought it as she spoke.

"You remember Govi?"

"That horrible man who raped you?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, what about him?"

"He's teaming up with Tommy's ex."

"Oh, hell no!" Sarai yelled out of nowhere as she slipped off the Virtual Monitor goggles with anger and handed them back to Ibuki, who placed them back on her forehead. "Why?"

"That's the problem. I… can't sense the reason why. It's as fuzzy as Don."

"Hmmm…" Enjo hummed with deep thought. "…I think I could, if I knew the motive… but what's the confession?"

"I-uh, oh!" Ibuki immediately ran into the forest behind her with a green face and this worried everyone around her. Sarai gathered the courage to check up on her best friend as she ran after her with a state of worry.

In the forest limits…

Sarai pushed her way through the bamboo and took about three curious steps before she heard the sickening sound of someone vomiting not too far from where she stood. She followed the sound and found Ibuki bent over with her lower body sticking out of a big bush, hearing the vomiting that came with the scene perfectly.

"Ibuki!" She screamed as she saw how sick her friend was. She kneeled down next to her and patted her back for comfort. As she was, she came to realization as she continued. "This is your confession, isn't it? You get sick every time you mention Govi. It's no wonder you were looking a little pale earlier when I mentioned him. This is not good! ENJO! SANJOU! COME HERE!" The two master came in less than a second and was shocked to see the sight before them. "Mentioning Govi made Ibuki sicker than a dog!"

"I see." Enjo said with worry. "I just sensed her confession. Not only does mentioning Govi make her ill, it's also not her fault. It's Fate."

"Fate?"

"Yes. He can be an evil puppet master for certain people and Ibuki just happens to be all tangled up in this mess. I would blame Tommy, but he's suffered so much from Fate as well before her."

"Oh, no… if only Ibuki fought that nasty bastard…"

"I couldn't…" Ibuki admitted as she just finished vomiting for the third time, wiping her mouth with a big leaf she happened to find on the ground as she slowly stood on her knees. "…he was so rough and violent… I couldn't even get a chance to change into my ninja outfit."

"Well, since he's making you suffer almost every time you say his name, then maybe you should find someway to kill him once and for all." Enjo suggested.

"If I can… I'm just so… scared of him."

"You? Scared? Ibuki, you know better!"

"I know, but it's the truth, Enjo! He raped me for five whole minutes without giving me a single hint of mercy! You have no idea what I've been through! YOU WEREN'T THERE!" Ibuki started forming tears as well as a red face as she got in the elder master's face. Enjo humphed with a smooth attitude as he folded his arms with confidence.

"I understand that, Ibuki… but regardless… you should be afraid of your enemy. Remember what I taught you back when you were eight?"

"Show no fear and they will show theirs?"

"Yes… but it seems like Govi has done the opposite towards you. Let's try to get that reversed, okay?"

"I can't, Enjo. I… I just can't. He took my innocence his way and I'll never be able to get rid of this fear! So, you can try to convince me to change my fear all you want… only Tommy can do it. I'm sorry."

"Hmmm…"

"I… feel what you're saying." Sanjou came in as he gently placed both of his hands on both of Ibuki's shoulders. "I understand as well… that we weren't there when you were raped and I can feel how horrifying the experience was… but since your fear has taken over, maybe Fate should talk to you to see if he can ease it down as well as Tommy could."

"That… could probably help me out." Ibuki agreed with her head bowed down with concern. "Tommy did suggest that I should talk to Fate. Hopefully, he can get rid of this sickness that making me feel so humiliated about all this."

"Give it a chance. It… WILL… work, Ibuki. Just believe that it will."

"…"

Five hours later, in Ibuki and Tommy's dorm room…

Tommy was packing his duffle bag for his trip with his football team to an away game and, when he was just about done, he looked over at Ibuki on the bed. She was actually meditating, patiently waiting for Fate himself to arrive and just have a decent conversation. Tommy showed a small smile as he picked up his duffle bag and slung it over his shoulder.

"Ready to meet Fate, huh?" Tommy asked. Ibuki didn't make a move, but she spoke anyway.

"Yeah." Ibuki replied as she kept her composure. "I have tons of questions for him and he better have done his homework."

"He usually does. He doesn't leave any questions unanswered, so you're sure to get everything you want outta him."

"Awesome! And I've done mine, so any questions he may have, I'll be sure to have something to say about them, too."

"Good. Well, I'm off to my first away game since I've been here. Will you be okay without me just for tonight?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine… but…" Ibuki opened her eyes, but still never moved her body. "…will your team be fine without Don?"

"Yeah. We'll tell the opposing team why Don isn't with us and I'm sure they'll understand."

"They better. If not, then they're just plain mean."

"I hear ya, Sexy-buki." Tommy approached her for a quick passionate kiss on the mouth, but Ibuki ended up wrapping her arms around his neck with desperation and made the kiss last for more than two minutes before they finally pulled apart slowly… very slowly… while they looked into each other eyes for a small minute. "Damn, baby girl. You don't want me to leave, do you?"

"To be honest, no… but you do have a game to go to and I have Fate to talk to. So, good luck, baby… and stay focused."

"I will and thanks."

Fifteen minutes later…

Ibuki was still meditating after she just got out of the bathroom to relieve herself. Multiple beads of sweat formed around her forehead and face as she just sat there perfectly still, waiting for Fate to arrive before her. Snow watched all this from his bed on the far left side of the room and he showed a look of concern. He was ready to see Fate as well, but didn't know if he could see him or not. It was a matter of trial and error for the giant lizard. As for Ibuki, her meditation was working as Fate appeared before her. He vaguely looked like Tommy's deceased grandfather from his Karthaji's side of the family, due to the Korean skin and the same exact hair color and type as his Mother, as Ibuki opened her eyes and saw him for the first time.

"Are you Fate?" Ibuki asked in a serious tone of her adorable voice.

"Yes, it is I." Fate replied with a gruff male voice of the typical seventy year old elder. "My, my, my… beauty comes in so many forms these days, huh?"

"Thanks, but I need to ask you some questions."

"And I have answers. Go ahead."

"Okay. The first must be… How come I get so sick that I throw up almost every time I mention Govi?"

"I have sickened you because I know your fear strikes you in the same way and so, having you suffer in the worst possible way is perfect for someone who's been violently raped for only five minutes."

"I figured it was you making me sick. So, here's my second question… Do you think I could stand a chance against Govi, if I were to face him again?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Then, why make me suffer beforehand?"

"Ibuki… you have the strength to fight this man. Making you suffer is only a test to see if you can toughen up and turn off the possible vomiting yourself. When you have successfully fought it and you never get sick after mentioning him again, you are ready to face him."

"Whoa… it's all a… test?"

"Yes. You have vomited three times already before I arrived, correct?"

"Yeah."

"Then, that means that you are still not ready to fight Govi. If you were to face him now, you will fail."

"Oh, wow."

"You see? You only have partially yourself to blame."

"Partially?"

"I am to blame as well, but when it comes to percentage, you are to blame by a good eighty percent while I have the remaining twenty percent of the blame."

"I… never thought it was my fault. So, every time I throw up, it means that I'm not ready to face Govi nor talk about him. Right?"

"Exactly. As for Don, I have seen how horrible those gun shots were and you have my deepest condolences if he happens to die."

"Thank you so much. It… actually means a lot coming from you. Now, I have just one more huge question…"

"What is it?"

"…when Tommy had these conversations with you back when he was a kid, how did you treat him?"

"I've been treating him as if he was my`grandson… in fact… I AM his grandfather."

"Darikosho?"

"Yes, but you may call me Fate, if you wish."

"I'd rather call you Grandfather Darikosho. Calling you Fate seems to be a tad bit of overdoing it now, doesn't it?"

"I guess, but I am who you see. I will be talking to Tommy again soon, so please promise me that you will keep this fact to yourself until then."

"I totally promise, Grandfather Darikosho."

"Good. Now, I do give you sweet dreams and good night."

"Good night." After that was said, Fate (Darikosho) disappeared into where he belonged: Heaven… and this made Ibuki cry silent happy tears as she finally uncrossed her strong legs and just sat on the left edge with a look of hope. "Wow. That was actually a peaceful experience. I still can't believe that every time I got sick, it was a test to see if I could hold it back on my own before then and so far, I'm failing like a chump. I need to step it up, if I wanna face Govi again. For now, though…" Ibuki paused as she yawned and stretched. "…I'm hittin' the sack. Good night, Snow."

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Criminal Facility…

Karthaji sighed with so much worry as she was about to fall asleep, but before she closed her eyes, she saw Sasha walking towards Govi's door in a suspicious way and this got her watching with curiosity.

"What the…?" Karthaji asked herself as she sat up from her bed. "What is Sasha doing here? This is something I have to see since Govi's actually been awfully quiet since the shooting."

As for Sasha…

She finally approached Govi's chamber and the guard that sat next to the door, looked up at her with a look of seriousness.

"Hold it right there, sister." The guard started. "Just what do you think you're doin'?"

"Visiting Govi." Sasha replied with an attitude.

"For what?"

"None of your damn business!"

"None of my business, eh? Well, then… maybe you shouldn't be here. If ya wanna be here for a short visit, you'll have to explain your reason to me first."

"…Are… are you serious?"

"Yep!"

"…" Sasha was shocked to get the same bad medicine being served to her in the same exact way she's been doing to Tommy for a few years. She decided to surrender and tell him the reason. "…Fine, but tell Ibuki and Tommy about this… and you will be the first to die."

"My lips are sealed."

"Okay. I've seen how Ibuki's been since the shooting and since my fight with her and she's been miserable. Almost everytime she talks about Govi, she pukes. So, I came up with a great idea on how I can get her to give up."

"Oh, okay. Care to tell me the plan?"

"Now that I ain't tellin'."

"Okay, good enough for me. Go ahead inside. You have ten minutes." The guard reluctantly allowed the devious Sasha to go inside, but he kept a close eye on the two just in case.

As for Karthaji…

She couldn't believe that Sasha teamed up with the evil man. She was anxious to know what the plan actually was, so being in her state of worry was actually keeping her awake until Sasha left.

She prepared for the worst for Tommy and Ibuki. She was ready to tell them…

…anything… and she does mean… ANYTHING.

To be continued…


	13. First Week of Peace: Last Day

Chapter 13: First Week of Pure Peace – Last Day

It may be only Wednesday of this week of what was supposed to be pure peace and tranquility, but Hell is secretly brewing on the sidelines of Tommy and Ibuki's relationship again and this time, Ibuki's stomach has been really notifying that she'll never handle it. Even after her decent conversation with Fate (or Darikosho), she has still vomited at every thought about Govi. On this horrible day, she called in sick and decided to see if she can stop her sickness once and for all without Tommy to support her. She only had Don to look at from her goggles every once in a while.

Meanwhile, on an airplane to Beijing…

Tommy just could not turn away from his window next to his seat. He kept a look of complete solitude and worry all over his face as he just stared aimlessly at the clouds, thinking deeply about Ibuki and how she can manage to overcome her Govi sickness on her own without him by her side. This was indeed his first time leaving Ibuki since they met and he already felt anxiety pound on his already fragile heart like a hammer.

Bobby took a good look at his childhood friend from where he sat across from him and he frowned with concern as he took the empty seat right next to the solemn gentle giant, offering him a bag of chips.

"Hey, Tommy… buddy… how about some chips?" Bobby greeted.

"Naw, man." Tommy replied in his deepest since his high school graduation. "I'm good."

"C'mon, dude! You aren't nervous about the game, are you?"

"Mm-mm."

"Ohhhhhh, it's about Ibuki."

"Yeah. This is my first time leaving her behind since I met her and I'm just so worried about her already. Her sickness over Govi really takes a toll on her and, if she keeps this up, she's gonna be so skinny, it ain't funny."

"Yikes. Are you sure?"

"Positive. I don't know why, but I have the strangest feelin' that Fate is making Ibuki sick on purpose, just to prove his point that she's not ready to face Govi."

"Bastard…"

"Better watch what you say, lad." Spoke a familiar gruff voice Tommy hasn't heard in such a long time. "Or I should lay a curse upon your stomach."

"Fate?" Tommy guessed as he turned towards the very same man Ibuki met last night in the middle of the aisle. "What are you doing here?"

"Here to give you a run-down on Ibuki's condition."

"And?"

"She's still failing by every trip to the toilet."

"Can't you provide a trash can for her or somethin'? Leave her alone!"

"I can't do that, Tommy."

"Why not?"

"I have my standards. This is the only way I can get her to realize her true potential. Besides, don't you have any better punishments for her?"

"Maybe some harmless nightmares would suffice, even though I'm not too fond of the idea."

"Nightmares, eh? Seems wrong for something like that to come from my grandson."

"Yeah, but… beg pardon?"

"Yes, Tommy. I, who you call Fate, am your deceased grandfather, Darikosho. I confessed this to Ibuki last night."

"I… I can't believe this… were you my grandfather all this time?"

"No. During your childhood, Fate was my brother, Yzyako (pronounced Eezz-ya-ko)."

"Wow. So, with that being the case, can you take my suggestion and take it easy on Ibuki? Nightmares are okay, but making her sick every time she mentions Govi is a bit much."

"Yes, you're right. I hope she'll forgive me for doing that to her."

"I know she will. Oh… and uh… think you can check up on Don for me?"

"He's doing exceptionally well. Personally, I think Don's actions were very unexpected, even for me."

"Yeah, but he loves Ibuki so much. They're practically brother and sister rather than pet and owner."

"So, I've heard. Well, I will cut off the sickness and give her nightmares instead… but before I go, I just have one more question…"

"Shoot."

"Despite your incredible size difference compared to Ibuki, what do you actually see in this woman?"

"Ooooooh." All of Tommy's teammates, including Broderick and Bobby, jeered upon hearing that question. Tommy smiled as he stood up and showed a look of bravery as he spoke.

"Fate… first of all…" Tommy started. "… let me start by saying that you're the first person to ask me something like that since I met Ibuki."

"Well, I am honored."

"And secondly, all I see in this cutie is nothin' but peace, love, a desire to move forward with her life, and just pure happiness all over her. She's been through so much during her childhood… she barely even had a chance to be a normal kid. Now that she has her chance to maintain a realationship and attend college, she's living the life she's always wanted, even though she's still pretty much a ninja on the side."

"Do you accept her ninja ways?"

"I don't care what this girl does, wears, possesses, or believes in… Ibuki will always be my girl and will always remain within my heart. We shall live and die together, no matter what happens."

Everyone in the plane was just moved by the whole speech as they remained silent with pleasant smiles all over, including Darikosho, who nodded in understanding with his arms crossed. Tommy never showed a hint of being timid as he continued.

"There is one thing about her that stands out above all of the other girls I've met. Even Sasha doesn't know this…"

"Oh?" Darikosho gasped. "What is it, then?"

"…She has this naughty nature that makes big men cry… and she hides it very… very… VERY… well."

"Whoa!" Bobby exclaimed as he nearly fainted. "Dude, that's gross."

"I know, but it's the truth. Since this girl's been tryin' so hard to get a boyfriend, it's no wonder."

"Hmmm… interesting." Darikosho commented. "Do you play along with her naughty antics?"

"Of course. The girl's too cute to let down and she's even cuter when she's makin' those sexy noises in bed."

"Heh, heh, heh… it seems like she passed her naughtiness onto you."

"And you know what? I believe she did… and I love it!"

"Ahhhh, that's my boy. Now, I will be leaving now to give Ibuki her nightmares, but I do wish you good luck on your first away game."

"Thanks, Grandpa… and please… tell Ibuki that I love her and I hope she'll be okay."

"I will. Goodbye, my grandson." After that, Darikosho disappeared back to Sarusuberi. Tommy sighed with relief as he sat back down and took in the applause from his team and coach as Bobby gave him a pat on the shoulder.

"Tommy, my man…" Bobby started with a smile. "…I gotta admit. You really came out of that shell!"

"And I feel pretty damn good about it!" Tommy agreed.

"I knew she was too adorable to be lookin' for boys." Broderick commented. "She used her cuteness for sexy attractions!"

"Exactly. I feel more condfident now, ya'll. I know Ibuki will be fine and we'll win another game."

Meanwhile, back at Tokyo…

Sasha just received her visitor's tag again before she went back outside Sarusuberi's campus and peeped through Ibuki's window to see her current condition. The young ninja tried so hard to keep herself from vomiting for the ninth time, but as soon as she about to, she suddenly… felt better… like it just disappeared from her stomach. Sasha saw this and gasped silently as she watched this from where she stood.

Inside Ibuki's dorm…

Ibuki looked up at the mirror upon her dresser and saw Darikosho's face on it. He was smiling.

"Good morning." Ibuki greeted with a small smile as she wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Did you check on Tommy for me?"

"He's doing well on his way towards Beijing." Darikosho replied. "And I see my curse has been deleted. How do you feel?"

"Like the emperor of Tokyo." Ibuki giggled after that statement before she got up from her bed and approached the mirror. "Why did you cut it off all of a sudden?"

"Tommy suggested that I shall give you nightmares, horrifying visions of the so many 'What Ifs' you have in your mind about Govi. Not a bad idea, no?"

"Not a bad idea at all. Why Tommy suggested _that_ of all things, I don't know… but it sure does beat the hell outta puking every fifteen minutes."

"There you go. You will wake up in cold sweats every morning, but it will be worth it. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, that's cool."

"Oh… one more thing I should mention…"

"What is it?"

"Tommy grants love to your soul. He wanted me to let you know that he still loves you very much and he misses you already."

"Awww! He does?"

"Deep down, he really wishes that all of his football games were kept here in town, but that's something I can't make."

"And I know that sucks. Poor Tommy. For a big guy, he sure is a sensitive one. How come he's so sweet, but so big?"

"It's all thanks to the love of his beloved Mother. He does love his Father just as much, but it's his Mother he loves more than ever. She has been getting him through so many lovely memories of his childhood up until she was arrested at his age of five. Now, without you by his side as well as his Mother, his heart carries a burden heavier than you could possibly imagine. He has confidence in his football game, but hopefully, he'll keep that all throughout the entire game."

"Mmm! So, basically, he relies on only women he respects for his sense of direction."

"That's… not basically what I'm proving. What I mean is that as long as he thinks about you and his Mother, he will always prosper."

"That's what I meant!"

"Oh… my apologies."

"No biggie!"

"Thank you for accepting. Now, here's my final question: Without Tommy to… 'pleasure' you… tonight, how will you cope with it?"

"Yeech, Darikosho. Don't make me go nuts in front of you."

"Just thought I'd ask a woman who yearns for his 'unmentionables' every once in a while."

"C'MON, DUDE! Stop it!"

"Hee, hee… I'm just teasing you, Ibuki. Why so serious?"

"Because… I'm itchin' to break your face with this kunai… as in the mirror!"

"Okay, okay… I'll stop now, but regardless of whether or not you have to pleasure yourself, you'll still get the nightmares when you fall asleep."

"Thank you, Darikosho. Now that I feel better, I can go to class. See ya." After that, Darikosho disappeared from the mirror and allowed Ibuki to get dressed for her day.

Outside her window…

Sasha overheard every word from that conversation and was shocked to hear that Ibuki healed up quite fast from her Govi sickness. She already told the violent pervert about the sickness, but now at this crucial moment, she feels like she couldn't possibly tell him about the sudden change now. That would make her feel like a complete idiot! So, she decided to keep Govi believing that Ibuki was still sick until he was finally able to get her plan going by meeting up with her in a secluded area. She saw this as the perfect opportunity to pull that plan off, since Tommy wasn't there this time. With that in mind, she rubbed her hands together with greed before she dashed off back to Govi just in time for visiting hours.

Inside Sarusuberi…

After her first two classes of the day, Ibuki settled down for her lunch, but still kept a pretty decent frown upon her face as she saw that the usual jock table was vacant for the first time since meeting Tommy. She reluctantly took her Bento to that very table and, for her first time, she ate at a pretty good speed this time. She didn't use her impressive fast eater skills this time and this worried Kendra as she saw her after receiving her lunch and sitting down next to the solemn ninja.

"What's wrong, Ibuki?" She asked her new friend. Ibuki just groaned in response, aimlessly eating her lunch at a slow pace. Kendra frowned. "Miss Tommy already, huh?"

"How long has it been since I met Tommy?" Ibuki asked in a serious tone of her cute voice. Kendra thought hard about her answer.

"It's been a good two weeks now. You two already seem so close, but I know there is still more to discover amongst yourselves."

"Took the words right outta me on that one, but I can't help it. Just like with Karmayah, the fact that I was raped gave Tommy a revelation that he'll protect me, even though I could pretty much defend myself."

"It's amazing… and yet… men at Tommy's size are rare around here, but it's even rarer for him to have a woman like you as his mate."

"I know, but hey! He's hot, okay? He's the kind of boy I've been searching for."

"Figures. So, do you feel sexually starved without him?"

"You sound just like Darikosho."

"Well, are you?"

"…" Ibuki had to admit it. Having sex with Tommy twice gave her the desire for more, even though she loves him for more than that. She proved that answer by blushing a deep red on her face while she turned away with an anime sweatdrop behind her head with embarrassment. Kendra chuckled at this behavior.

"Uh-huh. I thought so. And why is that?"

"…I can't help it." Ibuki muttered, still keeping her face hidden from her newest best friend. "I'm just… so anxious whenever I see him drenched in sweat or after he gets outta the shower. He just look so damn hot and he's gentle on the side? That makes a pretty sexy combination, if ya ask me."

"I see… and I'm surprised that you are so focused on your classes despite this. And I'm also surprised that you haven't been sick in a while. What happened?"

"Fate turned off the sickness." Ibuki's face was back to normal before she faced Kendra as she changed the subject. "Tommy suggested to him that I should get nightmares instead."

"Well… it is better than occasional vomiting."

"I know, right? I'll be scared to death every morning, but it'll be worth it."

"In the meantime, though… why don't you visit Don in Study Hall? I wanna see a smile on your face."

"I was just planning on doing that today. God, I still can't believe he did that for me!"

"That tanuki's been by your side since you were fourteen. He probably swore to protect you any way he could while you've been training. You never suspected his courageous acts of bravery becoming reality one day."

"Wow. Ya know, Kendra… you could be right. Don has saved me from danger once before, but that's because I was inexperienced and didn't know any better back then."

"Hmmm… Care to tell me this story?"

_**RIIIIING!**_

The dismissal bell rang before Ibuki could even open her mouth. She nodded in understanding before she stood up and placed her empty Bento box away in her backpack. Kendra frowned, but her kunoichi friend cheered her up by saying:

"I'll tell you the story tomorrow."

"What?" Kendra asked. "Why tomorrow?"

"My desire for Tommy is boiling right now and I wanna express it over my donation site a little later."

"Ohhh, okay. I see. Well, I guess I'll be the patient woman I've always been and wait for it. In the meantime, please do take your time with all this. Have you sensed Sasha's whereabouts before we head to Study Hall?"

"Like I care about that melodramatic bitch! We promised to ignore her this week, despite everything I've been though so far. She better not bother Tommy neither! I'm gonna keep my senses on the sharp lookout for her. When something suspicious comes up, I should tell Tommy about it when I get a chance."

"Good… because personally, I can't stand her now."

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Criminal Facility…

It was lunchtime at the prison and Karthaji ate by herself as usual, being fed a pretty good gourmet meal of sushi, fried rice, and chicken and broccoli. While she ate, she noticed that Govi sat by himself as well, eating the usual meal for the men, which was a thick bowl of buttered grits. She frowned as she watched him eat with that famous possessed smile she feared more than anything. She just couldn't believe that she shares the very same prison with the man that raped her son's girlfriend. Everything about him made her non-violent nature cook up a violent storm within her soul, but she kept it to herself until the perfect opportunity.

As for Govi, he took a good look at Karthaji from where he sat and still kept in that smile. His plan to take Ibuki back as well as allowing Sasha to take Tommy back was lying in wait for the moment to be unleashed and he just couldn't stop chuckling on the inside… and with Karthaji soon to be distracted some kind of way, he thought hard about the idea and licked his lips with greed as he continued eating.

Meanwhile, at the Beijing Dragons Arena…

Tommy and his football team just got settled in for the game and Bobby was already practicing his catches with Ryley. Tommy approached his defensive line next to Brutus and prepared to practice his tackles by pushing the row of metal dummies with his teammates. Broderick prepared to blow the whistle, but before he did, he noticed that Tommy's head was bowed down in prayer in his ready position. The coach was about to question him about it, but soon realized that Tommy was praying for Ibuki's safety, despite the fact that she wasn't sick anymore. This sent a loving smile on the coach's face. He knew Tommy more than any of the other teachers back at the high school and seeing his best player care so much about the woman he loves really just made him do nothing more than join in the support circle with his teammates with bravery. Broderick knows that Sasha can be a real pain in the ass and he'll do whatever it takes to help the couple out.

Three hours later…

"Hey, baby girl." Tommy greeted on his cell phone as Ibuki just called to check up on him just an hour before the game. "Do ya miss me?"

"You know I do." Ibuki replied on the other line. It was a split screen conversation. "So, how's Beijing?"

"It's a'ight. I just hope they're ready for some ass whoopin' tonight because that's what they're gettin'."

"Tee, hee. Oh, you sly dog! I just love your confidence when it comes to these games. You are pretty rough out there, but you do take it easy, like the gentle giant I fell in love with."

"It's not like me to be rough with my enemies… unless I really need to be. How have you been since Darikosho turned off your sickness?"

"I've never felt better, thank ya much! I'm ready for these nightmares, though. They might give me some ideas on how I can deal with Govi."

"That's mainly the whole idea, Ibuki. They'll probably give you some ideas to deal with Sasha as well. Speakin' of which, has she bothered you at all today?"

"No, but I've been sensing her presence all over the campus and during my ninja training. She is stalking me like a complete punk and I can't take it anymore!"

"Easy, girl. Don't go all out on her, like you did last time. No matter what happens, do not fight back. Once you do, she'll never want you to give up so quickly."

"I'll try. I do have another online journal entry to do, so I won't be bothered. By the way, I've… found a way to cope with your absence in case I get… uh… _sexually_ starved." Hearing this made Tommy chuckle, the sexiest chuckle he's ever performed since hearing his first joke from Bobby back in his freshman year of high school. This made Ibuki blush… for she knew that he knew what the coping method was. "Heh, heh… yeah… you know what it is, I'd take it."

"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh-heh… aw, girl! You are not doin' what I _think _you're gonna do…"

"Yeah. You saw me do it before."

"And it was just so damn hot. Hope you don't mind me askin', though… since when did you learn how to do that?"

"Since I turned seventeen. I was just… bored one night. Nothing to study, Sarai was already asleep, so I couldn't text her, and I was finished with my ninja training for that day… but I wasn't tired as in ready to go to sleep. So, when Don fell asleep, I quietly moved him outta the way off of my bed, pulled down my panties, and… well… you can guess the rest. It felt sooooooooo good… I lasted for a good three hours and some change before I finally fell asleep."

"…well, holy shit, girl. At seventeen, I'm not surprised."

"No, duh! Anyway, I better get to this journal entry, but before I go, I just have two things to say. One, I just checked on Don with the goggles and he's just doing so well, even though he's sleeping."

"I can tell you're still a little shocked about what he did."

"I am, Tommy! I truly am! Second thing I wanna say is… I love you."

"Awww, baby. I love you, too. You have a good night, Sexy-buki."

"Same to you and good luck on your first away game."

"Heh, heh… thanks. Bye, baby."

Over in Sarusuberi…

"Bye." Ibuki finished before she hung up her smartphone and placed it on her dresser before she headed for her laptop and took a seat at the desk. She was dressed in a silky baby blue pajama tank top with matching panties as she turned on her computer and the online journal came on and she immediately started her second entry.

"Hello, fellow supporters." Ibuki started with a pleasant smile on her already adorable face. "I can see good progress in this charity. You all really do care about my little Don-chan and I truly appreciate it. We're not even halfway there, but we're making quick progress either way. We're already at around two hundred and twenty five thousand dollars and growing… and this would just make Don cry the happiest tears in his life right now. With that in mind, I just wanna let you all know that, as you can see, Tommy's not here with me. He's away in Beijing to attend his first college away game. Deep down, I know he'll win, even without their mascot to support them. As for Sasha, he won't be bothered by her for a while. As for me, I might… but that won't happen because I can sense her before she can even get to me! That will make her cower for sure! Now, to the more serious matter at hand. Personally, I'm a bit lonely without Tommy… and already, my body is just sexually starving. I've had this tingle between my legs for about thirty minutes now and it's not gonna go away on its own. I have to tend to it ASAP or I'm gonna go insane. Keep sending in those donations, though. The more you give, the better the chance Don can live to see me graduate from college. This is Ibuki-chan… signing off." Once again, Ibuki got more loads of personal thoughts off of her mind and she let out a huge sigh of relief as she looked over at Snow on her right side. He smiled as he watched the whole thing and nodded in understanding before Ibuki stood up and approached the lizard, giving him a good rub on his head.

"Phew! There goes my second entry, Snow. You do know what I'm about to do next, right?" The pure white Komodo dragon nodded in response with a look that said 'I'll be sure to brace myself for it'. Ibuki read that face's message and giggled like the valley girl that she is. "Yep. You too, huh? Are you sure you won't mind if I do it now? Because once I start, it'll feel so good, I'll never wanna stop… not for a while." Again, Snow nodded, telling her that he doesn't mind the performance Ibuki was about to start. This made the young kunoichi smile. "Thanks, Snow. You are a deep sleeper after all, so I'll actually wait until you fall asleep. You won't even know how long I did it."

Meanwhile, at the prison…

"Ibuki's still sick, eh?" Govi asked Sasha, falling for the lie she just told. Sasha nodded in response, making the obsessed criminal hum in deep thought. "Hmmmm… honestly, I feel sorry for da girl. She just can't stand that harsh memory and it's literally killin' her. Are you using that as an advantage for me to get her back?"

"Yeah." Sasha replied. "And once you got her, Tommy's all mine again and nothing can take him from me. I know it's been two weeks since those two met, but their relationship's about to end any day now. You just give me the word and we'll start executing the plan right away."

"Alrighty, then, toots. Now, as you know, I can't execute dis plan on my own. My small family, which is only my two brothers, Hovi and Jovi, are da only ones who ran away from Ibuki after she scared them away while she was in ninja mode. Didn't scare me, though. I managed to attack while she watched my bros run away like the cowards I wished they weren't."

"Now, you ain't tell me all dat." 

"What? Da rape or da fact that I have broddas?"

"Your brothas!"

"Yeah, I'm the elder out all three of us triplet brothers."

"Wow. Triplets, huh? I would've never known."

"Yeah, believe it, babe."

"So, now that you mentioned your brothers, what about 'em?"

"They can help me get my glory back. I know they've changed since the rape, but I'm sure you can convince 'em to change back in order to get Ibuki back for me."

"What about me and Tommy?"

"You got Tommy all to yaself on dis one. My broddas will distract Ibuki with the whole innocent routine. She'll never know there's a scam in their minds until I unleash the execution! It'll be perfect!"

"You're a genius! I can't wait to get this plan going! Tommy's not even gonna remember she's a street fighter when this is overwith!"

"Dere ya go, sweetcheeks!"

"Uh… Govi?"

"Yeah, honey?"

"I… uh… do have a name, ya know."

"I know that… um… what was it again? Tasha?"

"Sasha!"

"Oh, sorry."

"Ugh! I'm… just happy you're still sticking to the plan."

Back at Sarusuberi, in Ibuki's room…

It sure didn't take too long for Snow to fall asleep after Ibuki's friendly warning about her masturbation ritual to cope with Tommy's absence… and he didn't even snore! As for Ibuki…

"Aaaaaahhhhh, yeah! Oooooooh… I am… ugh… so thinking of you, Tommy! Yaaaaahhh!" She moaned in multiple tones of her cute voice as she already forced her first two fingers on her right hand into her wet pussy while she laid back on her bed. Sensations were already flowing all over her body and she knew that she wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

Ibuki kept her eyes closed as she leaned her head back on her stack of two pillows with tears of pure ecstasy slowly escaping from her eyes, imagining that it was Tommy pleasuring her instead of herself. As her thrusts got faster, so did her reflexive humping right back at her fingers, sending her going crazy as her head was desperately turning left and right with her breathing getting faster and faster at every thrust.

"Ohhhh, aaaahhh! Yeah… ohhhhhhh, yeeeeeah… fuck, this feels so good! Goddamn it! I gotta heighten this up!" And Ibuki sure didn't waste no time on that! She quickly sent her left hand down towards her dripping pussy while she was still working her right hand's fingers into it and, in less than a second, she pressed two fingers onto her clit with her free hand before she rubbed it there just as hard and this sent her going insane in a matter of seconds!

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH, YES! Fuck, that feels so damn good! Yes! Yes! YESSS! Ooooooooh!" At this point, Ibuki's body started to shake uncontrollably as she continued this extremely sexy ritual to herself for the next ten minutes. After the ten minutes passed, Ibuki's desperate moans were getting faster and faster at the same time as her humping speed as she felt her orgasm build up inside her pussy walls.

"Oooooh, fuck!" She exclaimed as she was getting close. "Aaaaahhhhh, yeah! Yes! YES! OH, MY… GOD! HAAAAAAA! AAAAAAHHHHH! TOMMYYYY!" At that last scream of lust, she forced her right hand's fingers out of her wet pussy and her pleasure juice squirted out of her like a water gun for the next three minutes while she screamed her lust out along with it.

Two slow minutes later…

Ibuki made a huge sigh of relief as she rode through her most intense orgasm she's ever had from masturbating since she was seventeen. She was just laying there with her naked body still exposed out of the covers as she turned her head towards the sleeping Snow on her left side. He was on his back with drool leaking out of his mouth. This made Ibuki giggle as she focused back on the ceiling as she spoke to herself.

"That didn't last too long." Ibuki complained in a partial whisper. "I guess Fate is keeping me from losing my energy to eventually fight Govi. Now, _that _I can understand. At least, I got an orgasm outta that. Now, I need to get some sleep. I am ready for these nightmares! Bring 'em on!"

After that was said, Ibuki snuggled her naked body under her warm covers and got comfortable for bed, but before she closed her eyes to go to sleep, she stared at the vacant spot where Tommy usually slept and actually smiled instead of frown. Even though she was internally fearful of her upcoming nightmares, she still had the strength and spirit to believe that Tommy, along with his family and Fate, would help her through this. Fate has done so much to turn back now and no matter what will happen, her love for Tommy will always prosper as well as her ninja skills.

To be continued…


	14. Love Overcomes Fear

Chapter 14: Love is More Powerful than Fear

Pure peace may be gone for the rest of the week of "trying" to ignore Sasha, but pretty soon, reality is going to bite Ibuki and Tommy in the butt with extreme force. Until then, Ibuki had to face those nightmares every night from here until Sasha has been dealt with as well as Govi. As for Tommy, he and his team, once again, did exceptionally well in their first away game in college. They won in another one-sided game, making the final score 79 to 7! Tommy couldn't be anymore proud of his teammates and coach for that outstanding game. That victory never took Tommy's mind off of Ibuki as he just got settled into the bed for the night. He looked at his clock next to him in between him and Bobby in a hotel room and saw that it was nearly 11:30 PM. He knew Ibuki was sleeping by now, even though she pleasured herself beforehand. Speaking of Ibuki…

Back in Sarusuberi…

Outside her dream state, Ibuki was already sweating with an angry look on her closed eyes as she was still sleeping through her first nightmare. She dared not to wake up until either Snow wakes up first, the sun beams pierce through her eyelids, or her alarm clock goes off… whichever came first the next morning.

Inside her dream…

Ibuki was already running through unknown territory in partial darkness with fear in her cute face. Her ninja outfit was already partially ripped near her breasts and crotch and even some of her bandages were swaying along with her long ponytail as she ran for her life. She was breathing extremely hard with fatigue, but that never slowed her down as she continued to run. After about two horrifying minutes of running, she finally stopped at an open grassy field and a comfortable breeze just blew all over her, cooling off her exposed parts, but it was still dark. After five seconds, she heard evil chuckling from behind her and she immediately turned around with her look of fear still intact. She tried to reach for her famous weapons, but to no avail! She was defenseless as she just stood there and waited for the owner of that chuckle that sent so many shivers down her spine.

After two more minutes, much to her horror, Govi came out with his two brothers, Hovi and Jovi, with the most devilish smiles she has ever seen. Ibuki started to cry like a baby as she slowly backed away with tears flowing out of her eyes. Govi was ahead of the pack as he spoke.

"You ain't got nowhere ta run now, cutie." Govi started with his chuckling brothers. "Rippin' ya clothes was just da beginning."

"No!" Ibuki begged as she continued to step back. "Stay away from me! Don't touch me!"

"Awww, you don't wanna see my face?"

"LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU PERVERT!"

"So be it. Hovi! Jovi! Hold her for me." At that command, Ibuki tried to run once more, but Jovi, the blonde haired man with yellow eyes and short cut on his hair, blocked her escape and grabbed her left arm while Hovi, the blonde haired man with red eyes, grabbed her right arm and held her up to keep her from escaping, allowing her strong and athletic legs to continue to frantically run in mid-air as she was screaming at her loudest with more fear in her heart than ever. The two brothers slowly turned her around to face Govi, who already was in nothing but his boxers as he slowly approached the panicking ninja. "You ain't goin' nowhere now, Ibuki. I promise to make this quick and painless."

"NO! NOOOOOO! PLEASE LET ME GO!"

"Awww, she sounds so cute when she's all scared like that. It's turnin' me on, babe!" At that comment, Hovi and Jovi chuckled in agreement as they continued to hold Ibuki by her arms. Govi got close enough to grab the belt around her pants, even though she was still running and in one swift motion, he pulled that belt right off and her pants fell down with it, exposing her white panties. This made Ibuki stop her frantic aerial running and blushed a deep red on her face, still keeping her look of horror pasted on. "There ya go, Cutie-Buki. Comfortable?"

"Ugh! Not… in… the least." Ibuki managed to reply through her heavy breathing. "Don't touch me!" At that exclaimation, Ibuki kicked Govi in the crotch, but to her surprise, he wasn't phased by the kick. This made tons of sweat drench her face as well as her body, turning Govi on even more. "Uh, oh… not good."

"Oooooh, there's the sweet sweaty glaze I've been waiting for." Govi continued to undress her as his brothers were still holding her. Govi grabbed hold of her remaining overshirt and just simply ripped it off of her in one quick and strong pull, now exposing her brown spandex tank top. This made the young kunoichi shiver this time… and it wasn't from the breeze against her sweat. "Mmmmmm. Nice rack! How big are those ladies… about, uh… size 36C?"

"None of your fucking business!" Ibuki muttered with anger, even though she still showed fear in her face. Govi continued to chuckle as he took a good hold of the right side of the tank top before he pulled out a pocket knife and gently sliced the brown garment open from her neck and down between her breasts until it popped open and he, once again, forcefully pulled off the rest, exposing her breasts to him and Ibuki just could not stop shivering. "Please… don't do this!"

"Too late, toots!" Govi paused after that statement and wasted no time in pulling down her panties and now, she was completely naked before him and his brothers, who chuckled with greed before they allowed Govi to grab hold of her arms before he gently laid her down on her back on the soft grass. "Now, like I said, I'll make this quick and painless. Ya ready?"

"Painless, my ass! I'm a virgin, you bastard!"

"Oooooh… well, that makes it even more fun. Hovi! Jovi! Hold her down for me."

"What?" The two brothers wasted no time in holding down one arm, having Hovi on her left and Jovi on her right. She tried to pull free, but couldn't. "Govi, you don't have to do this! You can find true love, if you just start looking."

"SILENCE! I don't need to hear no weapy bullshit from you! You are mine… no matter what you say!" Those were Govi's last words before he pulled down his boxers, exposing his unusually big dick and this sent Ibuki panicking.

"NOO-HO-HO!"

Outside her dream…

Snow's usual wake up call by a telephone only was broken and the added sound of Ibuki's hyperventilation woke him up on high alert. He watched from his bed with extreme horror as he saw Ibuki just going through harsh convulsions in her sleep, making her body jerk around vigoriously and uncontrollably, making her covers fly off of her with full force as she continued to withstand her nightmare. Her promise not to wake up was fulfilled, but keeping that promise, despite the convulsions, was harder to accomplish than her first year of ninja training. Snow had the urge to go next door and warn Kendra, but resisted as he searched all over the room for something he could hold her down with.

During the search, Ibuki continued to have her horrifying convulsions in her sleep, nearly falling off the bed a few times, but managed to save herself every time. Twenty slow minutes later, her Yoroitoshi couldn't be held in, due to the strength and in a matter of five seconds, her left hand shot out one good spark, completely disturbing Snow's search for one of Tommy's leather belts.

Back inside Ibuki's nightmare…

Ibuki continued to scream with extreme horror as she was getting raped by Govi, who continued to chuckle during the process. Hovi and Jovi worked hard to hold the frantic Ibuki down. About two hours later, Govi allowed Jovi to have a go at it and he did much worse than him, but before Ibuki could continue to scream for her life, a mysterious male elder's voice spoke into her head in an angelic echo saying:

"Ibuki… Ibuki… Love will always prosper."

"Wh-wh-what?" Ibuki managed to gasp in between screams. "Darikosho… is that you?"

"No. You already know me… Ibuki Totanuki."

"WHAT?" No response came back, but a bright white flash started to shine in the darkness, immediately scaring the triplet brothers away. Ibuki was the only one left in the open field, her ninja clothes back to normal and unharmed all over her body as she slowly sat up and looked right into the light without being phased by the brightness and the same mysterious voice continued to speak. "Did you just say… Totanuki?"

"Yes. That is your last name."

"Do I have a middle name?"

"Your middle name is Sairoko."

"Whoa! Wait a second! How do you know all this? Who are you?"

"Like I said before, young ninja… you know me. You've just never seen me before."

"Obviously. Can you give me a hint?"

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Darikosho commanded me not to. Now, you shall awaken. It is morning."

Outside her dream…

Ibuki slowly opened her eyes and saw that Snow was up on the very foot of the bed from his hind legs with a look of concern on his face. Ibuki could tell that he was mortified by the events that happened the night before and she showed her sympathy by slowly sitting up, crawling over to him, and giving him a soft massage on his head between his eyes.

"Hey, Snow." She greeted with worry. "Did I scare you last night?" Snow nodded before he spoke.

"Yes." Snow replied. "Apparently you were having convulsions in your sleep." Ibuki gasped.

"What? Convulsions?" Snow nodded again. Ibuki remained shocked and surprised as she slowly got out of bed and slipped on her robe as she checked her room for anymore damage. Then, she looked up at the ceiling and saw a small black burn mark where she accidently shot her Yoroitoshi last night. She gasped as she just stared at it for a few seconds. "Did I do that?"

"Yes. Your strong convulsions caused Yoroitoshi to escape your hands with full force."

"Holy shit, dude. Either I need to chill off that energy drink or I just need to control my powers. At any rate, I did that… and I'm guessing I gotta pay for it."

"Not exactly. You didn't cause major damage."

"Really? I don't have to pay for this?" Snow shook his head. "AWESOME! I guess it does make sense, since I didn't pierce a hole in it. Anyway, I better get ready for class. Tommy should be coming home soon. I sure hope Sasha didn't bother him."

Meanwhile, in Beijing…

Tommy just woke up by the sun's rays with a smile. He looked over at Bobby and saw that he was already gone, probably to get breakfast. He chuckled as he slowly sat up and right when the covers exposed his impressive muscles, his cell phone rang and he saw that it was Ibuki. He cheered on the inside as he answered it.

"Mornin', baby girl." Tommy started. "Did you sleep well, despite that nightmare?"

"Shockingly, I did, yeah." Ibuki replied. It was a split-screen conversation. Tommy showed a look of concern as Ibuki continued. "Snow told me that he woke up because of my nightmare. It was horrible, Tommy!"

"I bet it was. I never intended them to be that horrifying to you, Ibuki-baby. Care to tell me about it while I wait for Bobby to come back with breakfast?"

Ten minutes later…

"…and that's pretty much it." Ibuki finished as she just finished making her bed while Snow cleaned up the floor. "Personally, I thought I was gonna die."

"Damn, baby." Tommy agreed. "After hearin' about those fuckin' convulsions, it's no wonder. Now, you're saying that a mysterious voice told you your full name is… Ibuki Sairoko Totanuki?"

"Yeah. Who do you think that voice is from?"

"It ain't from Darikosho?"

"Nope!"

"Hmmmm… I don't know. Maybe your elders might know about it."

"I don't know about Sanjou, but Master Enjo might know. He was with the Geki Clan when he found me. He might have some info."

"Probably. I'm just glad you're okay, though. I know a nightmare like that gave you some revelations."

"It sure did, Tommy… and I'm gonna use 'em."

"Good girl. Now, I'm about to head on back to ya, Ibuki-baby. Check up on Sasha for me, if you can."

"No problem, Tommy. I love you."

"I love you, too, baby. See ya later."

"Bye." Ibuki hung up her cell phone with a smile as she gently placed it back down on the nightstand. "That's what I love about Tommy. No matter what happens to me, he's always hopeful about my life and keeps a cool head every time. His Mom taught him very well."

"I heard tell from previous owner, Darikosho, that Tommy's internal conflict with Sasha was not only caused by her nature of being stubborn and manipulative, but also the way she's been approaching him." Snow came in as Ibuki was preparing for a shower. "She always seemed… possessed."

"Possessed? Why? Is she _that _addicted to him or something?"

"I wish, but actually, it is because of something that happened to his Mother."

"Since when does she care about his Mom?"

"Since she found out that her own uncle set that very trap that sent Tommy's mother to prison."

"…WHAT?"

"Yes… and now, things are heating up, yes?"

"You said it! I wonder if Tommy knows about this."

"Probably not. He has been searching high and low for the culprit, however… but to no avail."

"Well, isn't that some shit?"

"My sentiments exactly."

Three and a half hours and two classes later…

"YES!" Ibuki cheered as she just took her seat with Kendra and Snow. "Even though Tommy's not back yet, I still aced that exam with flying colors! Not one wrong answer! God, I am so proud of myself right now!"

"Your fellow ninjas would be proud as well." Kendra agreed. "Having Snow did give you an advantage after all. Now, stop me if I'm wrong here, but I heard a lot of bumping around next door in your room. What was that?"

"You heard that?"

"Heard what, if I may ask?"

"…I… had a pretty scary nightmare last night. Ever since Tommy suggested to Darikosho that I should have 'em, Grandpappy really gave him his word on those dreams."

"Oh, my! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Any word about Sasha before I call her?" Ibuki pulled out her cell phone as she said this and this worried Kendra.

"You're not thinking about calling her for real, are you?"

"Does it look like it? Besides, I just have one question to ask her… and I'm not gonna studder."

"Oh, okay. Well, to answer your question, no. She's been awfully quiet lately… ever since you kicked her ass."

"She's scared… and now, I'm about to talk some fuckin' sense into this bitch!" Ibuki just finished dialing Sasha's cell phone number and placed the phone up to her ear as she heard it ringing. "So, it seems like we can call her, but she won't call us, right?"

"In a word, yes."

"Yeah, she's scared." Five seconds after that was said, Sasha finally picked up the phone as she just woke up from her beauty sleep. "Mornin', biatch!"

"Humph!" Sasha was immediately offended by the greeting. "Well, mornin', Ninja Whore!"

"Look who's callin' me a whore!"

"Grrrr! Girl, get to your point befo' I cuss the shit outta your ass!"

"Okay. I heard a rumor that your uncle caused Tommy's Mom to get into prison with that trap he told me about. Is this true?" Sasha immediately got nervous as she was shaking on the other line.

"I… I-I-I-I-I-I don't know what you're talkin' 'bout!"

"Why so nervous, hmmm?"

"…Who…who in the hell told you that?"

"That doesn't matter. Just answer the goddamn question before I kick your ass again."

"…ugh! I can't stand you! I ain't answerin' shit! Besides, Tommy doesn't even know about this."

"Ah, so the rumor's true."

"FUCK!"

"Nice." Kendra commented with a smile, refering to Ibuki's finding and how Sasha took it.

"… but, still… Tommy doesn't know and he doesn't need to know."

"He's been looking for the culprit for most of his life." Ibuki added. "I'm gonna tell him when he gets back and you can't stop me."

"Just watch me! You're gonna wish you neva said those words!"

"Bring it, bitch!" After that, Ibuki hung up the phone with anger. "At least, I didn't see her ugly face."

"Tee, hee." Kendra giggled. "But, my God! Are you certain that Sasha's uncle did that?"

"Snow told me that Darikosho told him this before he died."

"Oh, no! We must tell him as soon as he gets back, but since Sasha swore to stop you from doing so, how are you going to do it?"

"I don't know, but a little help from your brother should do it."

Three more hours later, at Animals of Happiness…

"Yep, dat ain't no rumor, Ibuki." Johnnie confirmed after Ibuki explained what Snow told her. "Dat is da goddamn truth. Dumb-ass uncle didn't know the difference between humane and inhumane and he just did what he could."

"To do what?" Ibuki asked as she just approached the counter next to Kendra. "Sabatage the whole trap?"

"Pretty much. He wanted the tiger first, but since Karthaji was already there, he didn't wanna give 'way his cover when da trap snapped. So, he just simply let those damn authorities blame 'er fo' da fuckin' trap!"

"Do you know him?"

"Yeah, I know dat bastard anywhere! He's as dumb and stubborn as a mule, but he knows his way around animals and dere weaknesses. His name is Gerald Marshall, but he's known around his family as 'Uncle G'."

"So, he's the real criminal behind all this! Hmmm…" Johnnie kept his confident smile on his face as he watched the ninja think hard about all of this. Karmayah just walked out of Don's chamber and smiled when he spotted his sister, who approached him for a hug. When the embrace was done after thirty seconds, Ibuki gasped in realization. "…THAT'S IT!"

"What's it?"

"If we tell your wife's lawyer that she wasn't the one who set the trap, then we have a good 90-10 chance of getting her out of prison!"

"Dere ya go, cutie pie! I knew there were some brains in dat sexy ass of yours!"

"Shucks, Johnnie. Don't make me blush."

"Heh, heh… so, now that we got dat figured out, are ya gonna tell Tommy when he gets back?"

"You bet! He'll cry the happiest tears in the history of happy tears once I do."

"Knowin' my son, I know he will. Dat boy can get sensitive when it comes to his Mama."

"So, I've heard. I think that's cute."

"Awww, I knew you wouldn't mind. Now, I'm guessin' ya here ta see Don, despite those goggles on yo' head."

"Heh, heh… yeah."

Two minutes later…

"Hey, Don." Ibuki greeted as she just took a seat on the sleeping tanuki's left side. His eyes popped open when he felt one of her soft hands gently rub his cheek on that same side. "There he is. How are you doin'?" Don squealed in response, even though he was a bit groggy from his nap. Ibuki smiled, not realizing that Kendra just walked in and grabbed a chair behind her. "That's good. The charity is going great. We're at the halfway mark and still counting. You're gonna be a brand new tanuki once we finally get the money to pay for the surgery." Don squealed with happiness as he used the respective paw to hold her hand close for more comfort and this made Ibuki's smile grow even more, making tears of joy escape her eyes. Kendra just took her seat on Ibuki's left side and smiled with her.

"I'm so happy for you both." She commented. "I never knew so many people all over the world cared about Don."

"Yeah." Ibuki replied, keeping her focus on Don. "He may not have helped me out during all those Street Fighter tournaments, but at least he kept me company. He has helped me get ready for school back then, though."

"Speaking of helping you… didn't you promise me that you would tell the story of Don's very first time he saved your life?"

"Oh, yeah! I nearly forgot about that. Well, it is a pretty lengthy story. Is that okay?"

"I've got all the time in the world. Go ahead."

(Flashback, four years ago at the Glade of Ninjas…)

_I was __sixteen years old when it happened. I was just starting to get the hang of my neck breaker move and everything, but the hardest part was this one task I had to complete, if I wanted to be a certified ninja by the time I became a senior in high school. It was fairly simple; All I had to do was leap from tree to tree and when I see my enemy, I just simply land on top of them and give the enemy a good stab in the neck. It didn't sound too hard at first, but it was the leaping that I got in trouble with. I was so psyched about my leaping skills that I wasn't paying attention to how high I was going. I made it to the top of this hundred foot tall Evergreen tree and, right when I was ready to pounce on the dummy, I looked down and grew scared. I panicked for a little while before I slowly turned around to leap back, but before I could, I heard this loud screech… and it was too close. I looked up and saw this huge eagle just staring down at me. Since it wasn't in my nature to harm animals, I just simply leaped towards the next tree down, but that same bird followed me with a look of hunger in his eyes. I sensed him following me as I continued to leap from tree to tree. When I got faster, so did he. My heart was pounding like a sledgehammer, but I still kept going. At my tenth tree, the eagle finally caught up with me and he took a good wrapping hold around my arms with both of his talons, taking me to his hideaway in a cave that was just as high above the ground at that Evergreen tree! I was screaming at the top of my lungs with extreme fear as I was flying with the eagle back to his cave and it seemed like nobody heard it. The Glade never responded to my screams, but I tried anyway. _

"HELP ME!" Ibuki screamed at the top of her lungs, making it echo all through the forest as she being carried in the skies by the eagle. "SOMEBODY! ENJO! SANJOU! YUTA! GENDA! DON! SOMEONE, HELLLLLLLLLP! AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

_It seemed like forever since the eagle caught me and my lungs as well as my throat was starting to show fatigue from screaming so loud and hard. Realizing that nobody heard me, I just simply went limp in the talons and started crying, making my tears fall like little raindrops. _

"Help… me…" Ibuki muttered with sadness and defeat. "Don-chan… please… I don't wanna die so early."

_My mind was saying I was as good as dead, but my heart was saying hang in there. Like I could listen to my heart at this point, I thought. I was about to be eaten by a giant bird that's even bigger than Raion. At that point, I was doomed._

(Pause flashback)

"Oh, my God!" Kendra gasped. "I never knew there was such a bird!"

"Yeah." Ibuki agreed. "But, it's true. I remember learning about it in elementary school. It's called the Phoenix Killerbird. It does hold the record for the biggest bird in Japan, but it also holds the record for being a little punk."

"Huh?"

"Uh… let's get back to the story. It'll make more sense."

(Continue flashback)

_Fifteen more minutes of that flight went by so fast, I never realized it__ until the bird finally plopped me on the hard and cold rocks in the cave. I figured he had a nest at least, but that never existed. I slid backwards towards a wall and he screeched with anger before he used his beak to rip off my overshirt. As soon as I saw it in his mouth, I tried to leap over his head to escape, but he was quicker than I thought and he flew up towards me and grabbed me by my torso without hurting me, of course… before he forced me back to the ground and used one of his talons as a small cage to keep me from escaping again before he ripped off my pants this time. I struggled to get free during that time and I never saw his beak coming for my back again and it actually pierced into my back. It made a small pinch and I groaned at it before I started feeling faint. My vision was getting blurry and I was this close to passing out until I saw some brown creature dash up the entrance to the cave and it headbutted the eagle right off of me. I heard about a good seven minutes of scratching, screeching, biting, throwing, and familiar squealing before I finally blacked out. _

_After being unconscious for two hours, I finally woke up and found myself in a sick bed in the Medical Wing of the Glade. Enjo, Sanjou, Genda, and Yuta were standing over me, taking a good look at me before I just saw Don get rolled in on a small stretcher by Raion. He had multiple scratches, bruises, bloody gashes on his back, and even a left black eye he couldn't open. In other words, he was in pretty bad shape. My voice was still a little horace from screaming so much, but I tried to speak anyway. _

"Ugh!" Ibuki groaned to life. "Wha… what happened?"

"You passed out when that Phoenix Killerbird softly pierced your back with his sharp beak." Enjo replied. "How did you even get involved with that bird? You were only instructed to leap in a few trees and attack the dummy!"

"I… I got a little too cocky about my leaping skills and… (cough, cough) …ugh… I didn't pay attention to where I was going and ended up in the tallest tree in the forest."

"You know better than that! Now you have to do that task again tomorrow. You can't become an expert ninja until you pass this intermediate level!"

"I'm sorry, Master Enjo. It won't happen again."

"In the meantime, I guess I can explain why Don looks terrible." Yuta started. "When he was just walking through the Glade, minding his own business, he felt a tear drop on his head. At first, he thought it was rain, but then, he looked up and saw you being carried by that bird and squealed as a warning that he was going to save you. We all watched him run into the forest with bravery, but as soon as he disappeared, we never knew what happened after that. So, as soon as we retrieved both of you, we allowed Don to write down exactly what happened in the cave when you blacked out… and I've got the story right here. Sanjou, you can read it." Yuta paused as he handed the paper to Master Sanjou and he adjusted his glasses before he started to read it aloud. Here's what he read:

"When I felt that teardrop fall on me, I knew something was wrong because it was fairly sunny today. Then, when I looked up, I saw a huge bird carry what looked like Ibuki in the skies. I was terrified beyond belief before I sprung into action and squealed as a sign of my departure before I ran towards that very same cave the bird just landed in. At my physical state, I was able to gain the speed of a cheetah as I ran through the forest towards Ibuki. After running about fifteen miles, I finally reached the mountain and placed my claws into good use as I scurried up the slope just as fast as my running. On my way up, I saw Ibuki's overshirt fly down past me and that was a sign that I must quicken my pace before she's eaten alive! Five minutes went by quicker than I thought and I finally reached the cave, just seeing the bird pierce into Ibuki's back, but before he could finish, I growled with terror before I made a graceful leap towards the bird and headbutted him and we got into a fierce battle. Ibuki was already knocked out by the time the fighting was at its halfway point where he ripped some my flesh and I ripped some of his. This was back and forth for the next ten minutes until I finally claimed victory by getting on top of the eagle's neck and, in one swift motion, I bit into his neck as hard as I could and, not only did it allow me to taste his flesh, I ripped it off as well along with his spine, rendering him dead! I squealed at the top of my lungs in victory before I slowly fell towards the ground with extreme fatigue and managed to have enough energy to crawl towards the unconscious Ibuki, slither my way under her right arm, and just laid there, eventually passing out as well. I will never forget this moment and hopefully… neither will Ibuki."

_I was just emotionally moved by that whole story Don wrote. First of all, I never knew he learned so many words. Secondly, he literally risked life and limb to save my life__. I just simply looked over at him with a small smile and a tear escaped my right eye. It was a tear of joy, Kendra. I was just… so happy. He's only known me for two years then and already, he cared about me. _

_I tried to reach a hand out to him, so I could pet him and Raion smiled at that sight before he pushed him a little closer to me and I just gave Don a little massage on his left cheek. Everybody in the room was moved by this scene. _

"Wow!" Yuta exclaimed with a smile. "Only two years since they met and they're already showing a bond. Talk about a fast friendship."

"Indeed." Sanjou agreed. "Enjo, I'd say you gave her a fine gift. Don is truly Ibuki's pet and he shall protect her at all costs."

"Don… you… you've always wanted to pro… protect… m… me… this whole time." Ibuki said to her pet, who nodded in response. "…I…. never knew that. You… really do… (cough, cough)… care about me. Well, I care about you… ugh… too… I… lo… lo… uuuuuuugh…"

_I tried to tell him that I loved him, but I was too weak and I passed out. I truly did love Don-chan and like he said, I'll never forget that day. _

(End flashback)

"Wow." Kendra commented as Ibuki never turned away from Don that entire time. "Tommy does have a point. You have been through worse that he has, but still, you two share similar problems. Aside from that, Don really does care about you and he figured that, since he saved your life once, he could do again… and he did it so well."

"That's my lil' bro." Ibuki commented as she continued to massage her little brother's face. "I never forgot my promise to protect you, Don. One day, it will happen." As soon as that was said, Ibuki's smartphone rang and she picked it up to see that it was Tommy. Her smile got even bigger before she answered it. "Hey, Tommy! Home yet?"

"Just gettin' off the plane, baby girl. Come and meet me at gate 7, a'ight?" Tommy replied with a smile.

"On my way!" After that, Ibuki hung up the phone before she gave Don a quick goodbye kiss on his nose before dash out the room with Kendra not too far behind. "Karmayah!"

"Yeah?" Karmayah replied. "Is Tommy back?"

"Yeah. Can ya take me to the airport?"

"No problem."

"We gotta hurry, too. Sasha might beat me to him because of what I discovered about her uncle!"

"Let's go then!"

Meanwhile, at the airport…

Tommy and the rest of his team just got into the terminal with all of their belongings and waited for someone at gate 7 to escort them home. Bobby took in a good breath of fresh air before he spoke.

"Ahhhhh, it's good to be home!" He exclaimed. "That team we played against… they sucked!"

"You said it, son." Broderick agreed. "But, still… a coach like me couldn't be anymore proud of his boys fo' an oustandin' game! Now, Tommy… I ain't one to get into people's business, but seeing dis whole love triangle situation got me all into support mode. No matta what happens in dis crisis ya got, I'm gonna help ya conquer it!"

"Really?" Tommy asked with shock. He truly was surprised to hear words like that come from someone like his coach. "You'll support me?"

"Of course! Besides, I heard dat someone found the true culprit behind ya Mama's arrest."

"WHAT?" Tommy was beyond speechless after that. He couldn't believe that after nearly sixteen years of living with no Mother to support him because of a crime she never committed, the true culprit behind the crime was finally discovered. Broderick, Bobby, and the rest of his team nodded in agreement with his shock.

"It's true. I didn't hear who it was, though."

"YES! I can't wait to hear who it was!"

"Awww, who needs ta know?" Sasha protested as she just got in the terminal. Tommy's smile immediately disappeared upon seeing her and he showed a look of cool, calm, and collected anger. Same for the rest of the team and Broderick. "You'll find out eventually, baby."

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"You ain't happy ta see me? I just wanted ta welcome ya home and ya dis me like that?"

"I broke up with you a long time ago, you bitch! Why can't you accept the fact that Ibuki's my new love now?"

"Because dat girl's an asshole! Being a fuckin' ninja and shit… it's no wonder she was havin' a hard time gettin' some dick befo' you ran into 'er."

"DON'T TALK ABOUT IBUKI THAT WAY! I should've let her kill you when she had the chance that night."

"Stop playin', boo. I'm takin' you back and there ain't nothin' you can do about it and dat goes for your team, too."

"You have got to be da most stubborn girl I've ever known!" Broderick insulted. "I think you're just obsessed wit Tommy. You don't love him!"

"Aww, gee… no shit, Broderick." Tommy muttered in agreement. "Of course, she's obsessed. If she wanted another man so bad, why doesn't she stick with Govi?"

"Because Govi wants Ibuki." Sasha replied.

"Why? He raped her! He didn't love her!"

"Exactly!"

"I can't believe this…"

"Well, believe it, honey." Immediately after that was said, Sasha forced a passionate lip-lock on Tommy, who tried so hard to break free from it, but she was resisting with every last bit of her strength. His teammates and Broderick were shocked beyond belief and knew they couldn't do anything about it. They just watched the desperate escape, hoping Ibuki arrived after it ended. After five minutes of the struggling kiss, Bobby went wide eyed and this puzzled Tommy as he looked at him from over Sasha's shoulder. Bobby didn't say a word as he pointed to who he was looking at while he was shaking with fear. Tommy finally forced Sasha off of his lips and looked behind him and, much to his horror as well as embarrassment, he saw Ibuki dressed in her usual casual outfit of the tank top, jeans, sneakers, tanuki tail, and kunai chain… but her face showed that she just saw her own boyfriend cheat on her and she started to tear up with sadness. Sasha smiled at her handiwork as she released Tommy from her embrace and allowed Tommy to try to beg for forgiveness.

"Ibuki!" Tommy exclaimed as he approached his girl, who was still crying with an angry look on her cute face. "This isn't what it looks like. She kissed me."

"But, your tongue was in her mouth." Ibuki muttered with terror in her cute voice. "I thought you broke up with her. You lied to me!"

"No, Ibuki! That's not true! I truly did break up with her! She's just stubborn, remember?"

"I don't believe you. I was gonna tell you who the real criminal was behind your Mom's arrest, but now I see you don't really deserve to know."

"NO, IBUKI! I need to know! Who was it?" Tommy got closer to her and to his surprise, he got kicked in the crotch by the ninja girl before him. While he doubled over in pain, Ibuki about faced towards the exit and was about to leave, but she stopped just before the doors, never looking back. Tommy tried again while she stood there, even though he was in pain. "Ugh! C'mon, Ibuki-baby. Don't do this! Just… tell me who it was."

"…no. You stay with your… bitch of a girlfriend. See what I do."

"But, Ibuki…"

"Just leave her alone." Sasha suggested. "Seeing she punked out like the wimp I knew she was."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Ibuki screamed as she turned around fast, preparing a kunai behind her back. Karmayah just walked in the entrance behind her and was shocked at what he was seeing. "SAY THAT AGAIN! I DARE YOU!"

"I said… that you… punked… out. What? You can't fight me again?"

"…YOU MOTHERFUCKIN' BITCH!" After that exclaimation, Ibuki dashed for her at breakneck speed before she tackled Sasha towards the ground and held her down as she prepared her kunai for a sharp stab to her neck. That caught the attention of everyone in the terminal and they watched with shock. Security was about to interfere, but Karmayah silently told them not to. They obeyed as Ibuki continued. "I AM GETTIN' SO FUCKIN' TIRED OF YOU! Why can't you accept defeat like I can against Seth?"

"Because I'm a girl who knows what she wants. All you want from Tommy is his sexuality! That's all!"

"That's not true! I truly love him… unlike you. You're just obsessed and I can prove it! Everyone in the terminal…" Ibuki paused as she slowly stood up, holding Sasha by the collar of her shirt with her kunai still close to her throat. "… you have heard about Karthaji Jones getting arrested for animal cruelty, right?"

"YES!" Everyone replied, including the kids.

"Well, the real culprit behind that crime is Sasha's uncle, Gerald! This is his niece right here in my hand and I know she's embarrassed!" After that last word, everybody in the terminal, including the security personnel and Tommy's football team, busted out laughing. Sasha was steaming mad on the inside, but before she could speak, Ibuki beat her to it. "And he's referred to as 'Uncle G' in the family."

"STOP IT!" Sasha begged, but to no avail. The audience continued to laugh hysterically and this made Tommy smile… without laughing.

"What exactly does this have to do with…" Tommy was about to ask before Ibuki interrupted.

"Did you hear me?" Ibuki asked. "I gave you the culprit."

"…oh… that's all who it was? Sasha's dumb-ass uncle?"

"Yeah. He knew he would get in trouble when that trap snapped, so he concealed himself."

"I should've known." Tommy approached Ibuki and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "So, I'll ask again. What does that have to do with Sasha being obsessed with me?"

"Just watch. Stand back." Tommy did so by a good ten steps before Ibuki turned Sasha around to face her, letting Sasha take a good look at the ninja's smug smile. "Do you want Tommy?"

"Now that you embarrassed my ass in front of all these people, yeah!" Sasha replied with anger as she tried to break free, but couldn't. It was how strong she was trying that proved it and Ibuki held her tight. "LET GO OF ME! I WANT HIS MONEY NOW!"

"Hmm?"

"…did I say that outloud?" It was silent for the next twenty seconds before the laughing resumed at an even louder volume and even the kids joined in this time, making Sasha blush. Tommy nodded in understanding to Ibuki's plan and the kunoichi moved out of her boyfriend's way to allow him to hold his ex by her neck with his huge hands. "Uh… Tommy… baby… dis ain't what it sounded like."

"Oh, it's exactly how it sounds. I knew you never loved me. You just wanted my money." Tommy protested smoothly.

"…ugh. I guess… ya caught me."

"Then, take that fact and shove it up your ass, for God's sake! I said it was over before and I'll say it for the last time… but just in case you still don't get it, you wanna meet someone?"

"Wha?"

An hour and a half later, at Animals of Happiness…

"This is Velvet." Tommy introduced as he held Sasha in his hands by her arms inside Velvet's chamber. Ibuki was standing right beside him on his right while Karmayah, Kendra, Bobby, Johnnie, and Snow were behind the three. "He's the tiger your uncle tried to capture."

"Hi, Velvet." Sasha greeted nervously. The tiger looked up at Sasha and, in an instant, he snarled with every last bit of his fury when he saw a striking resemblance between the real kidnapper and his niece. They looked just alike to him and, seeing that outcome, Tommy vigoriously pushed his ex inside the chamber towards the tiger's paws. Sasha was shocked by this, but before she could speak…

"Ya'll play nice now." Tommy gave Sasha the middle finger on his way out as he said this and Ibuki joined in as she held the heavy metal door, ready to close it.

"Sayonara, biatch." She added before she gave Sasha the finger as well and closed the door right when Tommy was out of the chamber, locking it right when it was closed. Sasha's heart was filled with as much terror as it could hold as she saw that Velvet was ready to eat her alive.

Outside the chamber…

Ibuki and Tommy were already in a loving embrace, having Tommy's tears of forgiveness stain Ibuki's bare shoulders as well as her hair and this made her show a look of sympathy. Tommy's closed eyes were just pouring out his tears as he continued to cry like the sensitive man he was and nobody interfered as they watched this loving moment. The protective hug lasted for a good ten minutes before Ibuki sightly pulled away, still having her slender, but strong arms around his neck as she spoke.

"Are you okay?" She asked with concern. Tommy nodded as she wiped his tears, or at least, tried to. "I'm really sorry that I kicked you in the nuts back there."

"No, Ibuki." Tommy protested softly as he was still wiping his tears. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I warned you from the very beginning of our relationship that Sasha was stubborn and I tried to break free from the kiss. I really did. I knew it was a set-up and I wanted to ruin it."

"I understand. Either way, I forgive you. Now that Sasha is dead, we can focus entirely on Govi… and then, get your Mom out of that prison as soon as we can find Uncle G. Speaking of which, does everyone know him? Because we had the whole terminal laughing back there when we mentioned him. Even some of the kids were laughing."

"You obviously don't know him. Yeah, baby. Practically every single person in Japan knows Uncle G. He's classified as the nation's dumbest person when it comes to common sense. How he managed to graduate high school and college is a shocker to us, but when it comes to thinking before he acts… he fails that test like a chump."

"Oh, wow. How come I've never heard of him?"

"Ninja training tied you down more than you thought." Immediately after that was said, a sickening sound of some flesh being ripped apart was heard from the other side of the heavy metal door that held Velvet and Sasha inside. Karmayah was the only one who dared to open it and check to see what happened. When he opened the door by just a crack, he looked inside and saw what he expected: Velvet's muzzle was completely covered in blood and on the floor, he saw Sasha's bloody clothes, shoes, socks… and her decapitated head. He shuttered silently as he walked inside to clean up the clothes and patted Velvet on the head between the ears as a thanks.

"Good boy, Velvet." Karmayah commented as he picked up the last of the clothes. "Sasha will be long gone and forgotten now."

"Really?" Tommy asked as he opened the door all the way and saw the bloody damages the revengeful tiger did and he actually applauded just five seconds after scanning the place. "Good boy indeed, man! Alright, Velvet!"

"What?" Ibuki asked as she walked in next. "What happened in he-OH, GOD!" Milliseconds after that exclaimation, Ibuki dashed off the Women's restroom with a green face. Tommy saw this from where he stood and chuckled with humor before he reluctantly followed her to check on her. Johnnie chuckled himself with Bobby as they saw the nauseated kunoichi dash for the bathroom.

"Damn! Ibuki can't handle horror movies, I'd take it." Bobby muttered.

"Oh, she can handle a horror movie." Tommy reassured as he walked by his best friend and Father. "It's the sight of actually seeing a head without a body in real life that gets to her."

"Go figure."

"Hey!" Johnnie exclaimed. "You know more 'bout her than ever, son! I'm proud of ya!"

"Thanks, Dad."

Five hours later, in Ibuki and Tommy's dorm room…

Ibuki just walked out of their bathroom in a silky pajama tank top and panties ensemble colored in purple after she used some mouthwash and relieved herself. Tommy was already in bed in nothing but his boxers and in chill mode as he tried on the goggles to see Don. Ibuki saw how that scene looked and giggled before she sat down next to him with a cute smile.

"Checkin' up on Don, huh?" She asked him. Tommy chuckled as he nodded, still keeping his handsome smile in check. "Figures. You miss him as much as I do."

"Of course, Ibuki-baby." Tommy agreed before he slipped off the goggles and handed them to Ibuki, who placed them in her nighstand drawer. "He's family to me as well as you and that's all that matters. How's the charity goin' by the way?"

"Great. We're at the halfway mark and we're still counting. Kendra said it best when I told her. She said that she never knew so many people all over the world cared about Don."

"Damn! I never knew that either. He hasn't done much in those Street Fighter tournaments, but at least he gave you some moral support."

"That's good enough for me in my book." Ibuki paused as she slowly started to lay down and cuddle her head under Tommy's chin in the cutest way possible before she continued. "I spoke to Sarai on my cell phone on the way to the airport today and told her to ask Master Enjo if he knew something about me that he never told me."

"And?"

"I'm still waiting for some results. I'm still a little shaken up about that nightmare. I'm willing to find out who's voice that was."

"I bet. I kinda like your full name: Ibuki Sairoko Totanuki. That totally sounds like you, Sexy-buki."

"That's what I thought, too. So, Tommy…" Ibuki paused again as she sat up a little and playfully got on top of him, having her smooth legs around his waist, nearly feeling his package beneath his boxers. "…how does it feel to finally have Sasha dead?"

"It feels good, Ibuki. Personally, I've been wanting her ass dead for a long time."

"It wasn't like you wanted to kill her yourself, right?"

"Naw, baby." Tommy paused as he gently grabbed Ibuki's love handles and she made a seductive smile upon feeling that touch. "I didn't have to be the one to kill her. It's just that I didn't want her to be alive anymore. I don't care how she died."

"I see." Ibuki slowly slid herself back a few inches and felt Tommy's huge dick in his boxers and moaned with satisfaction. "MMmmmmm! You're revved up already. Killing Sasha kinda turned you on, didn't it?"

"Guilty. Feeling happy about Sasha's death made me wanna celebrate, if you catch my drift."

"I think I get it." Ibuki stood up on her knees before she sensually took off her tank top, exposing those beautiful breasts Tommy loved so much. He drooled on the inside as he gently took a good hold on her left breast and she immediately leaned her head back with ecstasy as she groaned with appreciation.

"Damn, baby girl. Once again, it seems like you wanna do it more than me. Before we start, though… did you hear that shit Sasha said about you back at the terminal?"

"Yeah, I heard." Ibuki managed to reply as she was slowly regaining her senses. "She definitely deserved to die for that!"

"No kiddin'. Oooooooh!" Tommy felt Ibuki grinding right on his crotch and he slowly started to shiver at the feeling. "Aaaah, shit, Ibuki. Don't… aaah… don't tease me so early."

"Why, baby?" Ibuki giggled like the valley girl she was before she put her ninja skills into good use and slowly slid backwards under the covers and it was silent for about two minutes before Tommy jumped at the feeling of Ibuki pulling down his boxers. When he saw her arm stick out from under the covers to toss those shorts to the side, he grew nervous.

"Uh… Ibuki? What-uh… what are you doin'?" Tommy asked as he was shivering slightly. No response came as he felt a pair of slender hands massage his dick under the covers and this made Tommy moan at the touch. "Awwwww, shit! Ibuki! Aaaaah, damn, Ibuki! What the fuck are you doin' under there? Don't leave me hangin'! Yaaaaa!"

"Tee, hee!" Ibuki giggled. "I'm givin' you a taste of your own teasing medicine."

"What?"

"Keep still." After that was said, Tommy tried to relax as he waited for whatever Ibuki was planning, but the constant shivering was not letting down. He hasn't felt this nervous in a long time and it was actually a good experience for him. He sure didn't lie about the fact that Ibuki has that spark that makes big men like him whimper like a frightened puppy and he was prepared for the torchure. After the slowest twenty seconds of waiting, Tommy gasped as he quickly sat up with the sudden feeling of Ibuki's mouth literally engulfing his dick and she sucked on it with all of her might as she bobbed her head up and down simultaneously.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH, FUCK, IBUKI!" Tommy screamed as he was automatically humping with Ibuki's sexy mouth as if it was her pussy around his dick instead, but it had suction power added to the simulation. "Shit, that feels too good, girl! Haaaaaa, yeah!"

_Hee, hee._ Ibuki's voice giggled in her head as she continued to suck Tommy's dick under the covers. _Awww, he's so cute when he's all in the mood like that. I've been wanting to do this to him for so long time since I met him. I never did this to Karmayah, but still. This is actually pretty fun… and not to mention that it tastes pretty good, too. Mmmmmm! Yeah, Tommy. You can't handle me._

Tommy heard Ibuki moan with him underneath the covers and he was just so nervous about this moment. His alternate moaning, gasping, and groaning was literally making Ibuki play with herself while she was suckling on his dick, making her moan even louder. Tommy made a naughty smile as he slowly sat up, still shivering like a leaf in the process, before he found the strength to grab the covers and toss them backwards, revealing Ibuki in all her naked glory keeping her focus on his dick. She felt the covers come off as she looked up at him while she still sucking him, showing those beautiful brown eyes. Tommy's hyperventilation was enough to prove to the kunoichi below him that he was finally able to handle it without going crazy.

"Damn, baby." Tommy finally spoke between breaths. "You just look so cute suckin' my dick like that." Ibuki chuckled as she slowly lifted her head up, gently licking the tip on her way before she allowed some of Tommy's cum to ooze out of her mouth and onto his balls. "How did that taste, Sexy-buki?"

"Too good, Tommy-chan." Ibuki replied as she licked her lips. "Way too good, just how I like it."

"Where did you learn how to do that, huh?"

"Don't make me ruin it." Ibuki crawled up his body to where the tip of his dick was right at her pussy, ready for the intrusion. "How about you get that Passion Dragon to start us up, huh?"

"Sure thing, baby." Tommy didn't waste no time in reaching into his nightstand and pulling out the small spray bottle before he allowed Ibuki to spray it on his dick. "I want you to try somethin' fo' me while we're doin' it."

"What is it?"

"I want you to have your ass facin' me."

"I think that can be arranged." The kunoichi just finished spraying on the condom before she handed the bottle back to Tommy, who placed it on the nightstand, before he watched Ibuki set herself up for the performance by turning her back towards him and slowly eased down onto his dick, making her gasp with passion while she leaned her head back in ecstasy. Tommy was already focused on her smooth ass as he took a good hold of both cheeks and just played with them all while she was hopping on his dick. "Aaaaaaaah, yeah, Tommy! This… oooh… this is actually pretty hot. You really like that ass, don't you?"

"You know I do, baby." Done with talking, Tommy just lustfully stared at Ibuki's ass while he gave her a bit of a bounce with her humping and that made her go insane at this point. Every ten seconds, her humping speed got faster and faster and so did her desperate moans and gasps. She never wanted this to end, now that they were almost at peace with everything.

Two and a half hours later…

Ibuki still had her back turned towards Tommy, but this time, Ibuki was back at sucking his delicious dick while Tommy tended to licking her pussy at the same time. Ibuki moaned within her suckling as she felt her third small orgasm from Tommy, bucking her hips on his face at reflexive response. Tommy did the same when he felt his third orgasm from her. When she felt this, Ibuki slowly lifted her head off, letting her tongue swirl all over the tip while she oozed her own spit onto it for about two minutes before she slowly eased her entire mouth back down onto his dick, making Tommy add more to her pleasure by forcing his tongue into her pussy lips, making his mouth cover most of it up. Ibuki cringed at the feeling while she continued to suckle him, moaning with passion in the process.

Finally, after the slowest thrity minutes they've ever had, they both removed each other from their delecates and screamed at the very top of their lungs with pure passion as they felt their final orgasms, having Ibuki squirt her juices right into Tommy's open mouth while Ibuki just tried to watch his dick shoot out his load onto the bed as well as her hands. This lasted for a good two minutes before they both calmed down and Ibuki gave Tommy's dick one more gentle kiss right on the tip before she sat up and turned herself around to face him, giving him her most passionate lip-lock in her life, having their tongues literally swirl all around both of their mouths, tasting each other as well as themselves. This kiss lasted for a good ten minutes before they slowly parted from each other, leaving a pretty thick string of saliva between them. Tommy allowed Ibuki to slurp in that string of spit before she slowly laid down on top of him, having her head lay on top of his strong pecs while Tommy gently massaged and played with her soft and silky black hair with a passionate smile no woman would dare to turn away from.

"Damn, Sexy-buki." Tommy finally spoke. "That was exactly how I wanted it. Those were some hot moves, girl."

"Thanks." Ibuki replied. "You were tasty down there."

"Same goes for you, baby girl. That was the best way to celebrate Sasha's death. Now that she is dead, what's next for us?"

"Govi. The sooner we deal with him, the better the chance he'll join Sasha in Hell."

"What about his brothers?"

"I'm sure they're part of his little scheme to… get me back, but I'll make sure they don't do a thing to me."

"Good. How about Uncle G?"

"He can wait. Since he's not that much of a threat to us…"

"I get it."

"Before all that though…" Before Ibuki could finish that statement, her cell phone rang. She looked at Tommy's digital clock and saw that it was near midnight and she was shocked. "…holy shit! We lasted _that _long? Wow!"

"Yeah. I'm surprised you could keep up with me, Ibuki-baby."

"Being a ninja has its advantages, I guess." Ibuki reluctantly picked up her cell phone from her nightstand and answered it. "Hello?"

"Ibuki! Enjo does know who that voice belongs to… from the nightmare you told me about!" Sarai replied from the other line.

"YES! I knew he would know! I'll come by the Glade tomorrow and see what he says. At this point, I'm anxious."

"Me, too. Well, good night, girl."

"'Night." After that, Ibuki hung up. "Alright. I knew Master Enjo knew what I meant."

"That's good, baby." Tommy agreed, slowly drifting off to sleep. Ibuki felt this and smiled.

"Go ahead to sleep, Tommy. You sure do need it…" Ibuki had her share of a yawn. "…phew! And so do I." After that was said, she eventually fell asleep, cuddling her head under Tommy's neck for more comfort, looking extremely cute under him.

To be continued…


	15. Family Discoveries

Chapter 15: Family Discoveries

Getting close to their two week anniversary, Tommy and Ibuki's relationship got better than ever. Sasha was finally out of Tommy's life and he really expressed his happiness last night with Ibuki. Now… there is another enemy on their hands besides Govi: Uncle G… but like Ibuki said, he was on hold for a while. Her enemy came next and, of course, Govi's brothers have to be involved in it some kind of way. Despite the beautiful moment she shared with Tommy, Ibuki still had a nightmare. This time, it involved her nearly getting shot by the dangerous rapist at the prison, but this time, Don didn't save her. As soon as the sound of a gunshot was heard, she woke up in a split second with a deep inhale and this sent Tommy into protective mode as he held her close to him, keeping her from flying out of the bed.

"Whoa, baby!" Tommy exclaimed as he reflexed his catch perfectly. "Are you okay?"

"(pant, pant)… I am now." Ibuki replied after taking a couple of deep breaths. "I am SO glad that was a dream!"

"What happened?"

"I was back at that same scene where Govi was about to shoot me… only this time, Don didn't save me. Now, I'm not sure if that's a 'what-if' kinda thing, but I know it means somethin'…"

"Hmmmm… I don't know either, baby." Tommy started to gently rub her back for comfort as he continued. "You won't believe what I dreamed about, though."

"What?" Ibuki smiled her cutest as she spoke. "What did my gentle giant boyfriend dream about?"

"Grandpa Darikosho actually gave me a look into the future. I dreamed that we were in our own house with so many expensive things… damn, it was crazy!"

"Like a penthouse?"

"Mo' like a condo."

"Awesome!"

"And I was the president of Animals of Happiness!"

"Cool!"

"And… you were carrying a baby boy in your arms in the living room."

"That's… what?"

"Yeah."

"You said you dreamed of the future, right?"

"Yeah, Ibuki. Why?"

"…you saw me… carry a baby in my arms?"

"You seem shocked."

"I am! I… well… personally, I can't visualize myself as a Mom. Are you sure that was me?"

"From your ponytail down to Don at your feet… alive, unharmed, and just fine."

"…no way."

"I'm sure you would make an excellent mother, Ibuki… if you had the chance…"

"I don't know, Tommy. I already have the resposibility to take care of Don, but I'm not sure about a child."

"Well, like I said, it was a dream. It might happen, it might not, but I actually want to be a dad, baby."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm not saying we should start now, but eventually… what do you say?"

"…" Despite Tommy's convincing words of confidence about being parents, Ibuki still wasn't exactly sure about the idea. She's never had to care for children before and it was beginning to scare her a tiny bit as she started to shiver before her boyfriend's neon green eyes. Tommy felt the reason for the light shivering and gave her a loving embrace that felt warm to her smooth skin.

"You have all the time in our lives to think about it, Ibuki-baby. Don't rush your thoughts into it."

"Thanks, Tommy. In the meantime, we have our classes to go to. There's a surprise for you in Chemistry class."

"Really?"

Fifteen minutes later, in Chemistry class…

"Ibuki passed?" Tommy asked with amazement as he heard the announcement from Jarlina.

"Yes." Professor Jarlina replied. Ibuki sat next to Tommy with red cheeks of her shy nature as she was given pats on the back by Bobby as well as applause from the rest of the class. "Having Snow gave her the ultimate advantage and she passed the exam with flying colors… and not to mention she finished it pretty quickly."

"Damn, girl! You're smarter than most people think, huh?"

"I guess." Ibuki replied as she hugged the gentle giant. "Now, it's your turn to pass it."

"I know I can ace it, baby girl." After that was said, Ibuki's cell phone rang and she quickly kissed Tommy on the left cheek before she got up and stepped out the classroom to take the phone call. It was Sarai.

"Hey, Sarai!" Ibuki greeted. "What's up?"

"Ibuki, you're not gonna believe this!" Sarai exclaimed from the other line.

"What is it?"

"Don's gone!"

"WHAT?"

"Yeah. Apparently, only two people don't care about the little guy and stole him from Animals of Happiness… with his life support system and everything!"

"Oh… phew."

"What?"

"I… thought you meant that he… nevermind. I don't even wanna think about that."

"About wha-ohhhhhh… about his… um… passing."

"Yeah."

"Sorry I scared you, but yeah. He was stolen from the animal shop!"

"Who stole him?"

"I couldn't get their names, but I can tell you that they were a pair of blonde long haired men. One had red eyes and the other had yellow eyes, but they look exactly alike… like a pair of twins!"

"…!" Ibuki couldn't believe what she was hearing. That description fit perfectly with Hovi and Jovi respectively, who happened to be the other two brothers of Govi. She had a feeling that they would be involved in this whole mess of chaos and her senses never ceased to amaze her as she finally spoke. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Why? You know 'em?"

"…Leave that information to me, okay? I'm gonna need some back-up on this one. I'm pretty sure they've changed since I scared them off before Govi raped me."

"What?"

"Sarai, I can't talk about it right now! In the meantime, hang tight. As soon as my classes are done for the day, Tommy's gonna head over to the Animals of Happiness and see what happened while I head on over to ya at the Glade."

"Okay, girl. Don't go crazy now."

"You know I never do, Sarai." After that, Ibuki quickly hung up the phone and headed back to her seat in the classroom with a look of both worry and anxiety. Tommy was the only one who noticed that look on her cute face and frowned, seeing that she didn't want to talk about it until lunch.

Two classes later, at lunch…

Ibuki just arrived at the famous jock table with Kendra next to her, having Ibuki still keep that look of worry on her face. Kendra noticed it now and was just as concerned.

"Ibuki, are you okay?" She asked her best friend. Ibuki just hummed with sadness as a response as she took her seat next to Tommy. After she settled down, Tommy looked at her from a side-glance with his handsome look of concern before he spoke.

"Somethin' wrong, baby?" He asked her. Ibuki never made eye contact as she turned her look of worry into adorable determination.

"Hovi and Jovi stole Don-chan from Animals of Happiness." Ibuki replied with practically no emotion in her cute voice. Tommy nearly fell out of his chair with extreme shock as his green eyes went wide. "I don't know how they did it, but they succeeded and we need to stop them."

"There's no way in hell that anybody could break in! My Mom made the best top notch security system for that place!"

"Apparently, they disabled the system."

"Damn! We gotta step up our game, Ibuki-baby! What are we gonna do?"

"Well, Hovi and Jovi are my enemies. So, I'll deal with them with some help while you go to Animals of Happiness and investigate this crime with your Dad and Karmayah… especially Karmayah."

"Why especially?"

"He's living in the store. Either Hovi and Jovi knocked him out before the steal or they just simply snuck past him while he was asleep."

"A'ight. By the way, who are you gonna get help from?"

"Oh, I have a few people…"

Two more classes later, at the Glade…

Ibuki just arrived in her famous ninja dogi before she approached her two Masters with a look of bravery in her brown eyes. Sarai just happened to be with them and she was the first to approach her childhood friend.

"Ibuki!" Sarai called out.

"What's the situation?" Ibuki asked as she just stopped before her friend and two masters.

"Hearing Don's theft has sent a gloomy aura throughout the Glade." Master Enjo replied. "We know who stole them and it seems like Govi won't give up… especially after he found out that you killed Sasha."

"Techincally, Tommy killed her, so I don't know why he's letting his dumb-ass brothers aim at me."

"It's an act of revenge. They know you wouldn't be able to live without Don-chan."

"God, I hate those bastards!"

"We have called the Street Fighters. Five of them agreed to help."

"Yeah!" Sarai agreed. "Ryu, Makoto, Cammy, Yang, and Ken."

"Makoto, though? I never thought she would help me out about Don… especially after what she did to him back in the Third Strike tournament."

(Flashback – "Famliy Guy" style…)

Ibuki was in the resting quarters with the rest of the fighters for a small break, feeding Don his favorite snack of baby carrots. Elena and Makoto saw this from the distance and Elena adored the scene while Makoto looked like she could care less.

"That must be that tanuki Ibuki was talking about. She says that's her pet." Elena started. Makoto scoffed.

"Some pet!" She muttered. "I'd rather have a dog or a cat. Where do tanukis come from anyway?"

"I don't know, but they sure are adorable." After that was said, Don approached the two girls and stood on his hind legs, offering the two ladies a baby carrot. "Aww, for us?" Don nodded as he handed the African princess her carrot and she took it. "Thank you, Don. See, Makoto? He's a nice little guy."

Makoto looked down at the raccoon dog before her, offering the remaining baby carrot to her. Makoto smiled slightly as she reluctantly took it, but instead of eating it, she tossed it away, grabbed the tanuki by the scruff of his neck, looked at him in the eyes for about five seconds, and gave him a hard punch to his abdomen, making him fly back towards Ibuki's feet with a hard _THUD! _head first. This made the kunoichi look at her with a look of pure disappointment.

"What the hell was that for?" Ibuki asked with anger. Makoto didn't say a word before she stood up and walked away to her fight against Urien. Ibuki looked down at Don, who had spirals repacing his eyes with dizziness before she picked him up and cuddled hm in her arms. "Bitch. What's her problem?"

"Apparently, she doesn't like Don." Chun-Li replied as she just sat down next to the young ninja.

"He would never hurt anyone! So, what's the big deal?"

"Maybe she just doesn't like tanukis."

"Well, I hope she gets bitten by one someday and realize that they don't like her neither. Besides, I hate her as much as she hates me."

"Huh! Go figure."

(End flashback)

"…huh!" Enjo and Sanjou muttered with surprise. Sarai nodded in agreement with Ibuki as she spoke.

"So, why is she asking to help?" Ibuki asked again.

"She wants to make this an apology for what she's done." Master Sanjou replied. "After she heard about Don getting shot, she started feeling sympathy about it, but dropped it after that. Now hearing that he's been stolen, she brought it back and this time, she's keeping it."

"Typical Makoto. I'd rather have Rufus help us out in her place. He may be fat, but he's friendlier towards Don than Makoto is."

"Please let her help you." Master Enjo pleaded. "Besides, she supports you in your relationship with Tommy."

"Really?"

"Yes. She didn't even get jealous when she first heard about it."

"…wow."

"See, Ibuki?" Sarai asked as she gave her childhood friend a pat on her right shoulder. "Makoto matured just as much as you did."

"I… guess you're right. Okay, I'll let Makoto help."

Meanwhile, at Animals of Happiness…

"Karmayah! Dad! Are you here?" Tommy called out as soon as he busted through the double doors. Johnnie just came out from the bathroom in a state of panic with some toilet paper attached to his left foot. Tommy was about to joke about it, but he remained serious as he continued. "Dad! Where's Karmayah?"

"He's unconscious in Don's chamber." Johnnie replied. "Two men broke in here and stole Don and everythang that came wit 'im!"

"I know! Ibuki told me everything. She thinks it's Hovi and Jovi who stole him."

"Awww, hell no! Those are Govi's brothas!"

"Yeah. He heard about Sasha's death and he's not giving up. He still wants Ibuki back… by any means."

"Well, shit! What are we gonna do about yo' Motha, den?"

"I have no idea, Dad, but we're gonna do somethin' eventually. In the meantime, how's she doin'? Did she call you?"

"Called me as soon as she heard about Don's disppearance. She's so worried about ya, son."

"And I'm worried about her." After that was said, Karmayah finally came out of the back way doors and he nearly collasped to the floor as his legs were still a little weak from his encounter with the two brothers of Govi. "Karmayah! You doin' a'ight, man?" Tommy didn't waste no time in helping Ibuki's ex boyfriend up to his feet. "You look a lil' groggy."

"I'm fine." Karmayah replied as he dusted himself off. "Hovi and Jovi broke in with vengance. During the steal, Hovi said something I never expected him to say… especially since he was the brother of Govi…"

(Flashback, to last night…)

Karmayah was fast asleep in a chair next to Don on his right. After about three more hours of sleep, a loud crash was heard from outside the chamber and Karmayah woke up slowly, opening his eyes without moving from his spot before he turned around and saw Hovi and Jovi bust in through the doors. Karmayah didn't waste any time springing into action and tried to fight against the two brothers, but the fight ended quickly after Jovi thwacked him in the head with a metal pipe he happened to aquire. Karmayah didn't get knocked out right away, but it was getting to him slowly as the two brothers quietly proceeded with the theft of Don, gently tranquilizing him first to make sure he didn't wake up. As Jovi was professionally storing the life support system in a generator powered duffle bag, Hovi gently picked up the sleeping tanuki, keeping his bright red eyes focused on Karmayah while he said what the giant albino didn't expect.

"We don't mean no disrespect towards Ibuki." Hovi started in a deep Mobster-type of voice. "We're just doin' dis for da sake of our lives."

"What?" Karmayah asked with confusion. Before he could figure it out, however, he fell into an unconscious state.

(End flashback)

"They were doing it for the sake of their… lives?" Tommy repeated. Karmayah nodded in response. "That… doesn't sound right fo' some reason."

"It's an indication that Hovi and Jovi have changed, like Ibuki predicted, but they have been forced to do Govi's bidding… or else." Karmayah finished. Johnnie gasped at that statement.

"What da fuck, man?" He exclaimed. "Why didn't they resist, huh?"

"Like I said, it'll cost them their lives… if they did happen to turn on their own brother."

"Damn! Now what?"

"Hmmmm…" Tommy hummed in deep thought before he gently settled Karmayah down in a chair. "Dad, I need you and Karmayah to stay here, in case somethin' comes up. I'm gonna go visit Mom."

"You're finally gonna visit her, huh?"

"Talking to her over the phone is useless at this point. I've gotta speak to her face-to-face. Last time I saw her was when Don got shot. This time, I'll face her and just smile the entire time, despite what's goin' on."

"Awww, that's my boy! Befo' ya go, though, where's Ibuki?"

"She's gathering some help, so she can really get through to Govi's head that she wants him to leave her alone."

"Huh! Well, I'd say you go, girl!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh!"

Meanwhile, at the Street Fighter HQ…

Every single Street Fighter formed a circle around Ibuki and Makoto staring at each other with crossed arms and determined looks on both of their faces, standing perfectly still like a pair of statues for the next five silent minutes before Ibuki finally spoke.

"You finally support me, huh?" She asked her rival. Makoto nodded in response. "Can you… tell me why?"

"Well, I know we're long time rivals." Makoto started. "But, that doesn't mean we can't end it. You've been through so much Hell and high water since Tommy ran into you… and it's not the relationship I'm talking about."

"I figured that… but after what you did to Don that day… and it's still stuck in my head… how do I know I can trust you to help me out with him?"

"I've changed, Ibuki. I'm not the same overconfident Makoto you knew so well anymore. Reality finally bit me in the ass and I see how tough it can be trying to prove my Rindokan karate power to the world. Just like how you're trying so hard to keep your ninja status from being discovered, I'm trying to be a new person."

"I appreciate what you're saying and I respect it, but you can't change yourself, Makoto. You were born to be who you thrive to be and that will never change."

"Huh! Says the girl who's trying to be a normal girl behind her ninja mask."

"…fuck."

"Uh, huh. Case and point. So, now that that's overwith, can I help you?"

"…" Ibuki never said a word as she turned her back on her rival and bowed her head with shame. Makoto kept her arms crossed for about five seconds before she started feeling sympathy for the young kunoichi. She slowly walked up to her and gently grabbed her shoulders before turning her around to face her. She saw that Ibuki was crying.

"I didn't hurt your feelings, did I?"

"No, Makoto." Ibuki replied with honesty, looking right at her rival's face, wiping her tears. "You told me the truth and it just got me right at my heart. I shouldn't be talkin'."

"It's okay, though."

"What?"

"You… actually did succeed in being a normal girl. You're in college, you have a boyfriend, and you have a great future ahead of you."

"Wow, Makoto. It… really means a lot to hear that from you."

"No problem. So, what do ya say, old friend? Wanna get Don back together?"

"I'd like nothing better." For the first time in their lives, Ibuki and Makoto actually hugged each other with all the happiness they had. This sent the circle of Street Fighters applauding at the scene for the next two minutes before the two former rivals ended the hug. "Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it. So, now that we've gotten that straight, how is the situation with Don?"

"I have no idea. Tommy hasn't called me yet." As if of cue, her phone rang right after she said this and this made Ibuki blush. "Whoa! Perfect timing." Ibuki picked it up. "Hello?"

"Ibuki, I got a question for ya, baby." Tommy started with sarcasm and a smile.

"Shoot."

"Would you believe me if I told you that Hovi and Jovi are only stealing Don to save their own asses from meetin' Death?"

"…you… lost me after 'Would you believe me if I told you that'."

"Yeah. I'm serious. Karmayah heard that statement himself from Hovi."

"…hell, no! Why would Govi do that?"

"Why'd you ask? I thought you hated his ass."

"I do! I just asked a question!"

"I don't know too much about it, but I'm guessin' that Govi really does want you back, despite me killin' Sasha."

"Ugh! I can't stand that bastard! He's gonna regret messin' with me!"

"Boom! There's the Ibuki wanted to hear! The tough, determined… and not to mention… _cute_… one I remember."

"Tee, hee. Yeah. Your grandpa gave me some bravery."

"No kiddin'. I mentally told him to."

"Yeah, well… what?"

"Yeah. I love you, Sexy-buki… and I'll do everythang in my power to give you everythang you need to overcome your fears."

"Awww, Tommy. I love you, too! Thanks!"

"No problem, baby girl. Now, I'm about to visit my Mom and see if she can help us out. Maybe we can get the police to reconsider the imrpsionment without usin' your charity, if you catch my drift."

"I get it. Take your time, then… and be careful."

"I will. Bye, baby."

"Bye." Ibuki hung up her phone after that and she looked at all of the Street Fighters staring at her with looks of humor. "What?"

"Sexy-buki?" They all exclaimed together, including Twelve and Q in a growling voice. Ibuki blushed as she tried so hard to hold her nerve-sensitive bladder as she was sweating bullets.

"Heh-heh… heh… Tommy… uh… made up that nickname after we first met. It is… um… pretty ca-ca-catchy. Hee-hee…"

"Catchy?" Yun repeated. "More like sexually unique."

"Yeah. Um… can-you-excuse-me-real-quick? I've-gotta-pee." Ibuki dashed off to the nearest bathroom in less than a second after that was said and this made Ryu chuckle.

"She's so cute." He commented. "That's a sign that her relationship with Tommy is already thriving… the nickname, that is."

"Why didn't I think of that?" Ken muttered.

"Easy, Ken. You're married."

"I know." After that was said, Ibuki's cell phone rang on the floor right at Q's feet and he volunteered to answer it, even though he answred the phone with his usual humming sound. It was Master Sanjou on the other line.

"I'm… guessing this is Q." He guessed on the other line. Q moaned again in response. "Yes, it is. Where's Ibuki?"

"She's using the bathroom!" Sean yelled out in the distance. "We just heard her new nickname for the first time and our shock caused her bladder to go insane with her nerves!"

"O…kay. Well, in the meantime, Q… can you place me on speaker?" He did so. "Now, everyone… don't tell Ibuki this until a good time, but-"

"Can we tell Tommy?" Dan asked.

"No. Don't even tell Tommy. I want both of them to be surprised about this. Now, Master Enjo just told me an interesting surprise fact. Remember Ibuki was found by him and the Geki back when she was baby 20 years ago?"

"Yes." Ryu replied.

"Well, you're not going to believe this, but after so many years of searching and so many sources… we have finally located… Ibuki's… real… parents."

"…"

"I sense a stunned silence on the other line… and I want you all to stay quiet about this. We're about to get them right now, so don't say a word to Ibuki or Tommy until then. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Everyone replied together. After that, Q hung up the phone just in time to see Ibuki exit the bathroom with a huge sigh of relief.

"Whew!" Ibuki sighed as she approached the others, grabbing her phone from Q. "Thanks, Q. I was wondering where my phone was. I guess I dashed off a little too quickly. Anyway, Ryu, Ken, Cammy, Yang, and Makoto… ya'll ready to rescue Don?"

"Yeah, we're ready." Ken replied. "Do you know where the thieves might be?"

"My ninja senses gave me a pretty good hunch…"

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Criminal Facility…

Tommy received a standing ovation as he was walking towards his Mother's cell. The gentle giant couldn't help but smile through the whole way. He felt honored.

"Wow." Tommy said to himself. "My Mom must've told everybody about me. Either that or they've heard that I've killed Sasha."

"It… could be both, Tommy." Karthaji added as she approached her bars and just held on to them as she saw her only son approach her. Tommy immediately started leaking tears of pure happiness as he took a good look at his Mother. She didn't look her age, which was 52. She still looked pretty young in her Korean skin and her long black hair had bits of gray in it. Her identical neon green eyes glowed in the prison lights as she was tearing up as well. "Awww, look at you. Now that I've taken a better look at you, you've grown into the young man I knew you would be."

"Same goes for your appearance, Mom." Tommy agreed. "You haven't changed at all since you got arrested… except the gray streaks in your hair. I missed you so much." He paused as he finally made it to the bars and just stood there with his famous handsome smile. "I see the prison's been treating you well."

"And I see that Sarusuberi as well as Ibuki has treated you just as well. How is she doing?"

"She's much better now. After everything's that's been happening so far, she's gained her bravery back. She's still scared of Govi, though."

"Poor girl. I'd love to see her go against him in a battle one day."

"You would say that, huh?"

"Well, wouldn't you want to see her fight this man that has terrorized her life?"

"Yeah, but it's about Don right now. He's been stolen by Hovi and Jovi."

"So I've heard."

"You've… heard already?"

"I overheard a phone call Govi was having with one of his brothers during lunch today. I sure hope they don't plan to do anything serious to poor little Don-chan. After what he's done for Ibuki for so many years, he doesn't deserve this madness!"

"I'm glad you agree. Listen, Mom. Believe it or not, Snow held in more surprises than I thought."

"Did he?"

"Yeah. He never forgot about Grandpa Darikosho's finding of the true culprit behind your arrest."

"YES! I knew my Father would be so sweet towards his only daughter!"

"…what?"

"Yes. As you are my only child, so was I to your grandfather back then. You're wondering why most of your Korean side is composed of nothing but your deceased grandfather, grandmother, and great uncle."

"And you never said a thing."

"If I did, what then? Hm? You wouldn't be able to handle the truth. I wasn't born an only child, however."

"Really?"

"Yes. I had two sisters and four brothers before a horrifying massacre of keeping peace between the North and South ends of Korea came into effect. All six of my siblings died in the war, leaving me and my father to live and survive."

"And what about my Grandma?"

"She died with my siblings."

"…damn." Tommy started tearing up with sadness consuming his entire fragile heart. Karthaji frowned with him as she placed a reassuring hand on her son's shoulder in between her iron bars.

"Aww, Tommy. I'm so sorry I never told you all of this sooner. It was for your own safety."

"It's a'ight, Mom. I needed to hear the truth and I took it in like a champ."

"In your manner of speaking, yes. Now, about this culprit, who is it?"

"It's ironically Sasha's uncle, Gerald Marshall. Many people around here call him 'Uncle G'."

"Huh! _Ironically_ is putting it nicely. I can… actually understand the motive behind it all."

"Enlighten me."

"Well, having him set that steel trap was unintentional, but he never thought it would snap in the middle of my trap and decided to let me take the blame for it. He wanted to get to the tiger before me, but he failed… and in turn, concealed himself from the general public until justice was served… meaning my execution."

"Which will never happen."

"Exactly! Do you know where he is?"

"Not yet. Like I said before, it's all about Don right now. His life is on the line and the two brothers of our most dangerous criminal just stole him for no apparent reason!"

"No… reason? I didn't hear all that! Now, you enlighten me!"

"Karmayah, Ibuki's ex boyfriend, had a close enounter with the two fellas last night during the steal. They thwacked him in the head with a pipe, but Karmayah didn't get knocked out right away. He managed to stay awake long enough to hear Hovi tell him that they were stealing Don for the sake of their lives. In other words, if they didn't steal Don…"

"…they would die at the hands of their own brother."

"Yes."

"Ugh! Govi must be a spawn of the Devil. He doesn't care about anyone else, but himself. He doesn't even care about his own brothers!"

"That's the shocker behind all of this. Even Ibuki nearly fainted when I told her."

"This is unbelievable! Is Ibuki already on their trail?"

"Yeah, she's already on it. What we're gonna do… is track down Uncle G, send him to this cell, and get you out."

"How can we?"

"We can make your freedom the reward for his finding, if the Sheriff allows it."

"Hmmmm… is he a wanted criminal?"

"Of course, he is!" Replied Sheriff Kenvys as he just approached the gentle giant. "He's been on the wanted file since you got arrested."

"And you never said anything?"

"We wanted to keep it a surprise. Now that we all know, we can execute this plan. At this point, Govi will have to wait on your side, Tommy. Let Ibuki handle Don until he's safe." Even though Tommy really wanted to help his girl with Don, he actually did agree with the Sheriff on this one. Besides, he promised her that she would handle Govi alone unless she needed him. At that thought, Tommy reluctantly nodded in agreement with his Mother.

"Got it." Tommy replied. Kenvys smiled as he pulled out his keys and set Karthaji free, allowing her to embrace her tall son for the first time in over sixteen years. Only being at a height of five feet and two inches, her head was at Tommy's diaphragm, but she didn't care. She was just so happy to finally hug her only son. Tommy felt the same happiness as he hugged his short Mother. As gentle as he was, he never suffocated her. His tears of joy escaped from his closed eyes and rained on his Karthaji's hair, but she didn't mind. They were both just ecstatic to finally be together once again. Kenvys smiled at this scene that lasted for the next three minutes, having a silent, but tearful crowd of the other inmates watch with just as much joy.

Meanwhile, with Ibuki…

She was actually back in her casual outfit of a black tank top, matching low rise skinny jeans, her famous tanuki tail, kunai chain, and sneakers as she tracked down Don's scent by leading her team of five Street Fighters to an abandoned factory near the outskirts of Tokyo. She was surprised that the others could keep up with her impressive speed of a cheetah she aquired through her ninja training. The only one who was "out of it" was obviously Makoto. Ibuki turned towards her with a smile of humor as she spoke.

"And I thought you were pretty fit." She said with sarcasm. Makoto continued to huff and puff as she spoke.

"Shut… the hell… up, Ibuki." She muttered between heavy breaths. "At least… I could keep up."

"Yeah, at least! How's everybody else?"

"We're alright." Yang replied. "Not as tired as Makoto, but we're good."

"Great! Now, um… I should warn you guys about Hovi and Govi. They can be just as bad as Govi, so let me do the talking until they come in peace. Okay?"

"Got it!" The others replied.

Inside the factory…

Don was miraculously lying on a new sick bed with his life support still plugged in and he was sound asleep without the tranquilizer since it wore off. The two muscular brothers of Govi were just relaxing in their hideaway, watching a comedy. After about three more minutes of peace, Ibuki and her Street Fighter team busted in through the doors, thanks to her Yoroitoshi. When she settled down from her fighting stance, she saw that Don was just fine, which puzzled her as she stood there, observing the whole scene before her. Ryu came up next to her on her left and was just as confused as he spoke.

"Hmm… interesting atmosphere." He commented. "Hovi and Jovi aren't giving Don any harm."

"Yeah." Ibuki agreed. "I figured Govi would command them to kill him, but he didn't. Let me figure this out. You guys stay back." The others obeyed as they remained where they stood while Ibuki approached the two brothers on the couch. "Hovi? Jovi?"

"Ibuki?" The two brothers exclaimed together by accident.

"What-uh… what the hell's going on?"

"Huh!" Jovi muttered in the same deep Mobster voice as Hovi as he rolled his yellow eyes with annoyance before he stood up with Hovi. "'What da hell's goin' on?' she asks us… after what just happened wit Don."

"This scene just doesn't seem right. How come Govi didn't tell you to kill Don?"

"He did." Hovi replied. "But, as soon as we hung up the phone, we were just sittin' here watchin' TV. He may be a killa to da ladies, but he can't sense us from prison. So we can do whatever da hell want, despite da fact that he still wants your cute-ass back in his arms."

"Huh! You two _have _changed. I wasn't feeling things. So, since that's the case, how have you two been?" The conversation became casual as Ibuki took a seat in a spare folding chair she happened to find. "I actually missed you guys."

"No kiddin'?" Jovi replied. "Even though ya scared our asses back to Hell, where we belonged?"

"Yeah. I knew you've changed since I've scared you away. What have you been up to?"

"We ironically became a pair of head honchos fo' a local zoo 'round here. Despite us bein' da broddas of a ruthless serial rapist, dey still allowed us ta woik ova dere. So, how have you been?"

"I've been good, despite the rape. I do have a boyfriend now and he treats me waaaaaaay better than Govi."

"Awww, dat's nice, cutie!" Hovi commented. "What's his name?"

"His name is Tommy Jones. He's huge in size compared to me, but he still loves me for who I am."

"Sounds like he's a nice guy. We'll be honored ta meet 'im someday."

"And I'm sure he will, too… I hope. Now, since you're not killing Don, what are you gonna do then?"

"We're gonna just hide here until Govi's finally laid ta rest." Jovi replied. "Personally, we'd hate to take Don's life. We know ya love 'im so much… and as ya new friends, we'd like ta ask if you would let us join ya on yo' lil' rebellion."

"Well, you two do seem quite nice. I don't see no reason not to let you in my team, but you have to take good care of Don for me until Govi's dead."

"No problem, Ibuki." Hovi and Jovi replied together as they both stood up with the young ninja and all three of them had a loving group hug. Ryu and the others nodded at the scene before them before Cammy spoke.

"Well, well, well." She started. "I guess we didn't need too much force of retaliation."

"Especially since the Glade's found Ibuki's parents." Ken whispered low enough to the team to hear, but not Ibuki.

"I sure hope they're okay." Ryu whispered. "And I can't wait to meet them. Judging by Ibuki's appearance, she looks like she could be what people may call 'Daddy's little girl'."

"Much like Tommy's 'Mama's boy' status." Cammy added.

"Exactly."

Back over at Ibuki, Hovi, and Jovi…

"Now dat we're friends, let's get down to business." Jovi started as they just ended the hug. "Now, we've hoid of dis Uncle G guy being da mastamind behind Karthaji Jones' arrest. Only very few people in dis here city know where he is."

"How few are we talkin'?" Ibuki asked.

"About… uh… six or seven people… give or take."

"Hmmm… do you know some of those people?"

"Only three outta da seven." Hovi replied. "Wanna know who dey are and how dey know?"

"Yeah, but not yet. I want Tommy to hear this. So, one of you come with us."

"One of us, eh?" Jovi asked. "Why only one-ohhhhhh. One of us needs ta watch Don."

"Yeah."

"Ibuki?" Cammy came in. Hovi, Jovi, and Ibuki turned towards her at full attention. "I'll stay here and watch Don-chan. Both of the brothers can go with the rest of you."

"Thanks, Cammy."

"Dat's much betta." Hovi commented. "Well, let's get a-goin', eh!"

Fifteen minutes later, back at the Street Fighter HQ…

Ibuki, Hovi, Jovi, and the rest of the fighters minus Cammy just arrived and when they stepped inside, Ibuki was shocked to see Tommy standing in the kitchen with his Mother.

"Tommy?" Ibuki called out. The gentle giant turned right towards her upon hearing his name. "You're here already?"

"You know I wouldn't wanna miss out on ya, baby." Tommy replied. This made Ibuki giggle her cutest as she approached the two.

"Hi, Mrs. Jones. It's good to see you in a place other than your cell for once."

"And it's a pleasure to meet you as well." Karthaji replied, giving Ibuki a loving embrace. "I see you have been taking good care of my only child and I truly appreciate it. He's been so lonely since he started dating Sasha and having you within his heart makes his pride a whole lot stronger. Thank you."

"Anything for your family, Mrs. Jones. Tommy's a sweet guy and love him so much. He treats me like a woman should be treated."

"Just like I taught him." Karthaji ended the hug slowly and took a good look at Hovi and Jovi behind Ibuki. "And who are these two fine gentlemen?"

"Tommy, Mrs. Jones… these two are Hovi and Jovi. They're the brothers of Govi."

"But, you two don't act like your eldest brother. Care to explain why?"

"It's a long story." Hovi replied. "How 'bout everybody gathers 'round in da backyard, eh?"

Five minutes later…

All of the Street Fighters, Karthaji, and Tommy, sitting next to Ibuki, gathered around the two brothers in a circle in lawn chairs as they explained their story.

"Well, as you can tell by our voices, we're part of a family of mobstas." Jovi started. "Our parents were da best when it came to business like planning a hit on someone or gettin' money from whoeva protested against 'em, but Govi seemed to be the ringleada behind everything."

"Yeah." Hovi agreed. "All three of us triplet broddas practically cared about each other, but da stupid thang about it was… well… Govi ain't care 'bout shit!"

"He was always against us and da woild… and our lovely Modda took it out on 'im in a violent way so to speak. She was raised in a fightin' town back when she was young and she knew how ta handle young bloods."

"Next ting ya know, Govi gets inta a fight wit our Modda and he nearly killed 'er. She was knockin' on da Grim Reapa's do' by dat point and we were just furious! Jovi handled guns very well while I could handle knives. Govi was mo' of a chain and sword kind of guy."

"Hearin' dat meant dat guns didn't go very well wit swords, right? WRONG!"

"Say what?" Ibuki muttered. "Are you serious?"

"Yep. I wasn't handlin' just any pair of pistols! I was carryin' some Uziz's. By da way, dis happened when all three of us were 21. We're 27 now."

"So, this happened not too long ago." Guy came in.

"Yeah." Hovi replied. "I put up a pretty good fight wit Govi for about ten minutes befo' he finally gave me dis…" Hovi paused as he turned his back towards Ibuki, Tommy, and Karthaji specifically before he slightly lifted up his shirt, revealing a deep scar diagonally drawn across his back, starting from his right shoulder down to his left hip. None of the three seeing the scar showed a look of disgust, but a look of worry as Hovi continued. "…See dis scar? Govi gave it to me as a pretty damn good servin' of a final blow. Blood spewed everywhere and I was unconscious afta dat."

"I finished him off, though." Jovi added as Hovi just lowered his shirt back down and listened to his brother with the others. "My Uziz's were no match for 'im 'cause dere rapid fire was extremely fast! He couldn't deflect some of da bullets and for some of 'em dat did, he was shot in the chest, abs, legs, and arms. He looked like Swiss cheese at dat point and I thought he would be as good as dead… but somehow, he survived and made one lil' statement Hovi and I would never think of hearin' from 'im. He said and I quote: 'Shoot me one mo' time, ya punk… and Modda's gonna become a victim of a sex crime!'… and boy, oh boy… he meant it when I dared to shoot him one mo' time."

"You mean… Govi… raped his own Mother?" Ibuki gasped. The two men nodded in response together. "Oh, no…"

"It was terrifyin' ta watch, ya'll… lasted for thirty minutes while she was dead."

"So, that ain't really considered rape." Rufus added. Ibuki began to tear up.

"Still…" Ibuki came in. "… it's no wonder he's a threat to women only… including me."

"But, it's mainly you he wants." Hovi added. "Probably because you remind him of our Modda… and for once, we'll agree on dis one. Da only thing she ain't have dat's on you is da fancy signature ponytail ya got dere."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah." Jovi replied. "Are ya… still scared of 'im?"

"A little, yeah. I don't know if I'm ready to fight him. He's such a rebel."

"But, you can do it, toots. If you can beat da livin' shit outta Sasha, den you can do da same to Govi."

"Wait! How did you two know about that fight?"

"Da news, sweetie."

"Oh. It was on the news?"

"Yeah, 'cause people 'round here couldn't stand her and dey are happy that you kicked 'er ass."

"Wow."

"Now, uh… about some people who know where Uncle G is… Tommy, we told Ibuki dat we know only three people who know where that dumb-ass uncle of dat bitch Sasha is. Wanna know?"

"Of course!" Tommy replied. "Lay 'em on me."

"Okay. Dat foist person is dis guy here." Hovi started as he pulled out a small picture of an elderly man in his eighties with pale white skin, just as pale baby blue eyes, and a bald head. "His name is Valantro Wallis-Washington. He's seen Uncle G 'round dese parts more years dan we have."

"Valantro Wallis-Washington?" Ibuki asked as she took the picture and took a good look at the man. "He looks like he could be related to Karmayah and Kendra."

"Yeah, he is. He's deir grandfadda."

"Huh! What a coincidence!"

"You'll find dese last two people to be a huge coincicence." Jovi added as he pulled out a big picture from his back pocket and handed it to Ibuki, who just passed the picture of Valantro to Karthaji. "They've been hidin' fo' 'bout twenty-one years now in a secluded area near the outskirts of Nagasaki, but dey've been lookin' into source afta source of info togedda until dey found out where Uncle G was. Take a good look at 'em. Dey… might look familiar."

"…" Ibuki kept quiet as she scanned the picture and she was slowly tearing up as her face remained stuck at determination mode. It was a picture of a Japanese man and a Japanese woman in their ages of 50 and 49 respectively in a loving embrace in what appeared to be Downtown Tokyo. The man was about six feet and two inches tall, had the same exact face as Ibuki, and even rocked his long black hair in the same ponytail as her, minus the three strands in the front! He also had a pretty good muscle capacity for a 50-year-old man and his eyes were a beautiful light brown. As for the woman, she had hazel green eyes, about a couple inches shorter than the man, had long black free-flowing hair and she had the three strands of hair in front of her. She was more beautiful than Ibuki, but had her ears and eyebrows. Tommy just took a good look at the picture and gasped at their appearances.

"They… both… look just like Ibuki." He gasped. "You… don't supposed they could be…"

"…My parents… my _real _parents…" Ibuki muttered with tears of joy. The rest of the Street Fighters and Karthaji couldn't believe it as well as they just watched Ibuki admire the picture with Tommy for a while.

(Dun, dun, duuun! LOL)

To be continued…


	16. A Family Reunion Unlike No Other

Chapter 16: A Family Reunion Unlike No Other

Ibuki could not believe her eyes as well as her ears. First, she hears that Hovi and Jovi are actually against their eldest brother, Govi. Then, she hears that they only know three people who know where Karthaji's culprit, Uncle G, is… and that's when it led to the fact that out of the three people, Ibuki's real parents are among them. It was even harder to believe that it's the brothers of a serial rapist that knew her parents the entire time and they never said a thing.

Ibuki, Tommy, and Karthaji continued to admire the picture for a few more minutes before Ryu came in.

"Unbelievable!" He exclaimed. "And Ibuki, while you were in the bathroom earlier, Master Sanjou called your phone. He told us that he's found your parents as well. Master Enjo knew the whole time as well."

"What? Master Enjo… found my parents?" Ibuki asked with shock.

"He beat us to 'em, eh?" Jovi added. "Well, what a coincidence!"

"But… why didn't Enjo tell me about them sooner? I was wondering about them for my entire life! I never even got to see them!"

"Ibuki?" Tommy came in calmly, ready to soothe the emotional monster within his girlfriend.

"What, Tommy?"

"Don't take it too seriously. Remember you said that you were raised as an only child?"

"Yeah."

"Well, even though your parents are located, you still are. They were probably hiding from something dangerous and abandoning you as a baby was the only way you could be safe."

"Hmmm…"

"Wow, Tommy." Sean commented. "How did you do that?"

"I just know how to talk to this cutie. That's all."

"And I'm so proud of you." Karthaji commented. "Your love for her has increased your respect. Now, Ibuki.. try to understand what Enjo did. Just be thankful that your parents are alive and well… and I know they miss you so much."

"And I miss them, too." Ibuki agreed. She never took her eyes off of the picture as she continued. "I look more like my Dad."

"HA! I knew it! Pay up, Ryu!" Ken exclaimed as he waited for Ryu to hand him his one hundred dollar bill. Ibuki, Tommy, and Karthaji looked over at them with smiles of humor.

"Say what now?" Tommy asked.

"Ryu betted me a hundred bucks if Ibuki was refered to as… 'Daddy's little girl'."

"And ya know what?" Ibuki started with a cute smile at last since she saw her parents' picture. "You could be right, Ryu. Not only do I look like my Dad, I could be more dependant of him. Now, Hovi, Jovi… you said that my parents know where Uncle G is, right?"

"Yeah" Jovi replied. "Since one of yo' mastas said that they're gettin' 'em, what will ya do, eh?"

"Well… hmmm… let's see…" Ibuki safely tucked away the picture in one of her back pockets as she stood up. "First of all, I know Govi is plotting something, since you never told him you killed Don… and you never killed him at all."

"He's bound ta find out sometime." Hovi agreed. "So, when he does, what will ya do?"

"You two try your best to stall him. Tommy, Mrs. Jones… we're gonna get my parents."

"Don't you want to check on Don first?" Karthaji asked with concern.

"I'm on it." Ibuki didn't waste no time pulling out her Virtual Monitor goggles and she saw that Cammy was giving him ice to munch on to keep his hydration up as well as give him something on his stomach that wouldn't come back up. She smiled with appreciation for about a minute before she removed them and kept them on her forehead. "He's fine. Cammy's treatin' him well."

"Good." Ryu replied. "What about the rest of us?"

"In case Hovi and Jovi can't handle the ruthless Govi, you all make sure he doesn't reach us somehow. By the way, does he know about Uncle G and my parents?"

"He might know 'bout Uncle G, but I doubt dat he knows 'bout ya parents." Jovi replied. "He might find out in da meantime, though."

"Okay. Well, keep him back while Tommy, Mrs. Jones, and I head to the Glade. We're gonna end all of this drama once and for all as a family."

"What about Snow?" Tommy asked. Ibuki gasped in realization.

"Oh, God! What about Snow?" As if on cue, Tommy's cell phone rang and he saw that it was Bobby. He answered it.

"Yo!" Tommy started.

"Tommy, where are you, man?" Bobby screamed with horror. "Govi's here and he's got us all at gunpoint!"

"WHAT? How did he escape?"

"I don't know, man… but you and Ibuki better get your asses down here NOW! He just killed Snow!"

"… AW, FUCK NO! HANG TIGHT, BOBBY!" Tommy hung up his phone in a heartbeat. Ibuki grew worried immediately.

"What? What happened?" She asked him.

"Govi escaped! We're too late!"

"Aw, man…"

"And… he… he killed Snow."

"AAAAAAHHHHH, NOOO! Tommy, we better head back to Sarusuberi! Ryu, change of plans! You and the others stay here! Hovi and Jovi, you know where Animals of Happiness is, right?"

"Yeah. We broke into it, rememba?" Hovi asked.

"Well, go over there, get Karmayah, and tell him to get to the Glade. After that, you go and check up on Don and tell Cammy to meet back here."

"Got'cha!"

Two minutes later, outside the Street Fighter place…

"Grandpa!" Tommy called out. "Grandpa, where are you?" Darikosho appeared right before Ibuki, Tommy, and Karthaji with a look of shame. "What the hell's goin' on?"

"I'm sorry, Tommy." Darikosho started. "Somehow, giving Ibuki the nightmares triggered a disturbance in my Fate system. She was supposed to be sickened with grief after all."

"Does the finding of my parents count as part of the problem?" Ibuki asked.

"Not exactly. That's a shocker to me. I never thought they would still be alive."

"Aside from that, Daddy, Govi has killed Snow." Karthaji came in.

"And I know why."

"Why?" All three of them asked.

"It's because he's a part of Tommy and he wants you dead, my grandson. He's doing everything in his part to make sure you don't get in his way if he wants Ibuki back… and killing Snow is the perfect bait for you to get lured into, so he can kill you as soon as you're in his sights."

"Damn." Tommy muttered.

"As for this 'Uncle G' person, he knows we found out about his true alligations, but he wants you all to come to him instead of him coming to you."

"And exactly how are we supposed to do that?" Ibuki asked.

"Now, that I can't answer. You'll have to figure it out for yourself."

"Wait a minute… it's all making sense. I remember that nightmare where Govi, Hovi, and Jovi were chasing me and, right when Govi was just about finished with raping me, a voice and a light appeared, giving me my full name, which is Ibuki Sairoko Totanuki."

"Ooooh." Karthaji gasped. "That's a shocker."

"Did you make out who the voice belonged to?" Darikosho asked.

"No, but I do know now. It was my Dad."

"Very good."

"Wow. I knew that had to have some significance somewhere!"

"Now, Tommy and Karthaji, you two will head to the Glade and meet Ibuki's parents. Ibuki, since Govi's your enemy, you will fight him alone."

"But… you do know I'm terrified of him, right? I'd rather meet my parents first."

"No, Ibuki. Remember what I said? Govi only killed Snow to lure Tommy there for the kill. Having you face him in Tommy's place will really send my Fate system to go haywire in a good way and everything will not be as it seems."

"Ohhhh, I get it. Okay, but trust me on this. I'm gonna be quite a coward."

"Just believe that you can win and you won't be the helpless woman you once was. I believe in you, Ibuki Sairoko Totanuki."

Ibuki didn't say a word after that was said and just showed a look of courage on her adorable face. She nodded in agreement with Darikosho before he disappeared back into the Heavens. Tommy remained silent as well before he approached his kunoichi girlfriend and gently gave her an affectionate embrace that made tears of happiness escape from both of them. After about a minute of the hug, they both got into a passionate lip-lock unlike any other they've shared since they met. Karthaji saw this whole moment from where she stood and was just leaking tears of pure joy. She was so happy to see her only son kiss the woman he loved more than himself. She was also so proud of him for being as gentle as he could, despite his huge size compared to both Ibuki and herself.

After the two minute kiss, Ibuki and Tommy finally parted with a pretty thick string of saliva between them. Tommy got to slurp it in this time and he showed a smug smile afterwards, getting Ibuki aroused by his looks like always.

"You behave around my parents, then." Ibuki said seductively, keeping her sexy smile in check. "Don't want ya to get into trouble."

"You know I'll behave, baby girl." Tommy replied, keeping his gentle grip on Ibuki's love handles. "Kick Govi in the balls for me."

"And I'll be sure to suck 'em, too."

"Damn! You go, girl."

"Awww, isn't that cute?" Karthaji commented with a smile. "You two are very close. Tommy, I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Mom. I know where the Glade is."

"I bet you do." Karthaji turned to face Ibuki as Tommy went to his car parked not too far from where they were. "Now, Ibuki… Since Govi is really out of control this time, I want you to take it easy on him."

"Why?" Ibuki asked with disgust.

"You'll figure it out."

"Huh?"

"Trust me. Just _take it easy_ and he'll leave you alone." Karthaji winked after that was said. Ibuki got the hint in less than five seconds and winked in return before she allowed Tommy's mother to leave for the Glade with him. Ibuki about faced towards the path to her school before she professionally leaped from building to building back over to Sarusuberi.

Meanwhile, over at Animals of Happiness…

Hovi and Jovi just arrived to see Karmayah and Johnnie just closing the store for the day. The two brothers approached the albino giant with determination. Johnnie was confused as to why, so he stayed quiet and allowed Karmayah to do the talking.

"Hovi? Jovi?" He started. "What are you two doing here?"

"Karmayah, we just made Ibuki happy." Hovi replied.

"We knew all along dat her real parents know where Uncle G is and why he's hidin'." Jovi added. Karmayah smiled with appreciation. Johnnie was just shocked to hear that as he continued to hear the conversation.

"You found Ibuki's parents?" Karmayah asked with surprise.

"Actually, da Glade beat us to 'em and I have a feelin' dat dey got 'em already safe and sound ova dere. We just need you and Pops ova dere to come wit us."

"Sure, no problem. Will you two continue to care for Don-chan?"

"Dat's our next destination once we drop ya'll off at da Glade." Hovi replied. "Den, we tell Cammy ova dere to head back to da Street Fighta place and stay dere. Tommy and Ibuki will handle da rest of dis shit."

"Okay. C'mon, Johnnie. Let's go!"

"Right!" Johnnie replied, despite how shocked he was to hear that Ibuki's parents have finally been found.

Meanwhile, at the Sarusuberi Café…

Ibuki just busted in through the main double door entrance and nearly puked at the sight before her. She saw a few dead bloody bodies all over the place, but she was happy to see the rest of Tommy's football team and Kendra safe under a table where Govi had his gun aimed. She then looked over to her right and right by her feet laid a dead Snow, covered in his green and red blood and laid in a puddle of his blood as well. She started tearing up as she slowly kneeled down towards him with her back facing Govi, who noticed her after a minute from a side-glance. He smiled with greed as he watched the scene from where he stood.

"Oh, my God!" Ibuki gasped as she gently held the white monitor lizard's head up. "Snow… you were a good pet while you lasted. We're gonna preserve you, big fella." She then picked him up from under his armpits and gently flung him over her left shoulder before she stood up straight, only to hear the sound of a gun cocking right behind her, having the pistol literally touching the back of her head. She stood perfectly still with a look of calm rage on her cute face. "Don't get mad 'cause you don't see Tommy. I came in his place because I knew why you killed Snow."

"Oh, ho… you are just so clever." Govi replied with sarcasm. "I'm flattered to hear ya say dat, sexy. Well, now dat da damn lizard's dead and Tommy ain't here, what are you gonna do, huh?"

"I'm gonna let ya off easy on this one. If you want me so bad, then take me."

"Ya tink I'm stupid? I ain't fallin' fo' dat trick!" Govi cocked the gun again after that was said. "Now, try me if ya want!"

"No, I'm not kidding. I really want you to take me."

"What the fuck is Ibuki doin'?" Bobby whispered with shock. Govi was just as surprised as he lowered his gun.

"Are… are ya serious?" Govi asked.

"Yeah." Ibuki looked over at him from a sensual side-glance for about a minute before she gently placed Snow back on the floor and, in a split second, she slashed the very hand that held the gun and he screamed with extreme pain as he held his decapitated arm, watching blood spew out where his hand used to be. As soon as the gun slid right up to Ibuki's feet, she used every last bit of her strength to crush the weapon into pieces with her left foot. "Tee, hee… psyche!"

"Grrrr! You bitch! I knew you was onta somethin'!"

"Hell, yeah. Now, why try to convince your brothers to kill Don-chan?"

"Why'd ya ask? Isn't he dead?"

"Nope. Your brothers are actually against you. They never killed him after you told them to."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah… oh, and uh… by the way…" Ibuki paused as she got in Govi's face and whispered: "They are also… on… my… side."

"…Grrrrrrraaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" Govi pulled out a stainless steel Katana sword with his unharmed hand and tried to slash Ibuki, but he ended up slashing the air. He froze from his current position after the slash and looked up at the small platform above the lunch line to see Ibuki still in her casual outfit of her tank top, jeans, and sneakers, but stood perfectly still like a statue with her slender, but strong arms crossed with a smug smile on her cute face. "YOU BITCH! HOW DARE YOU!"

"Eh… I was convincing to 'em. We all knew your intentions for killing Snow was only to lure Tommy-chan here so you could kill him and Fate stopped you by sending me."

"Wha… what are you talking about? Fate? Who is this Fate you speak of?"

"None of your damn business." Immediately after that was said, Ibuki magically made three kunai stick out between her fingers on her left hand, intimidating Govi. "Now, uh… how about we settle this once and for all? Are you willing to die… at the hands of Ibuki Totanuki?"

"Oh, I'll be willing… but not to die in your hands!" Govi chuckled after that statement before he magically made his decapitated hand reappear, holding a second sword afterwards. "Let's end this, so I can rape your cute ass again."

"I'd like to see ya try."

Meanwhile, near the Glade of Ninjas…

Tommy just happened to meet up with his Father and Karmayah at the very same time the latter two arrived at the very edge of the bamboo forest. Johnnie was tearfully happy to finally see his wife for the first time in over sixteen years and he immediately ran over to her for a hug that nearly tackled her. Tommy joined in the family hug and he nearly cried as well, happy to see that his whole family was finally back together again. Karmayah watched this scene from where he stood for about two minutes before the whole Jones' family slowly ended the hug and turned towards Karmayah, who offered a welcoming hand to Karthaji.

"It's pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Jones." He greeted politely. Karthaji bowed during the handshake as she spoke.

"Pleasure's all mine." She replied. "And you must be Karmayah. Tommy's told me plenty about you and how well you treated Ibuki before my son arrived."

"I treated her as best as I could until then. I was saddened with grief when I had to move to Russia with my family without my older sister."

"Well, you did your best. Now, Tommy… are you ready to meet Ibuki's parents?"

"You're askin' me like I'm already intimidated by them, Ma." Tommy replied with confidence. "Her Dad does seem rough, though. I'll watch what I say."

"Good. Let's go."

Five minutes later, in the Glade…

The Jones family and Karmayah got through the bamboo forest and was greeted by Master Enjo. His eyes showed a look of shame and this got Tommy worried.

"What's wrong, Enjo?" He asked.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell Ibuki about her parents sooner while she was a teenager. I know she must be upset." Enjo replied.

"She was for a minute, but I soothed her just as fast, realizing that it was for her own safety and she understood completely."

"Oh, thank you so much. I guess you have been with her long enough to know what can calm down an emotional kunoichi like her. Now, what's the situation before we get to the main reason of your visit?"

"Well, Govi somehow managed to escape and kill my pet at Sarusuberi. Luckily, my Grandpa, who is actually Fate, knew why he killed Snow: So Govi could kill me as soon as I was in his face."

"That's da only reason why he killed Snow?" Johnnie asked with shock. "Dat's bullshit!"

"In his manner of speaking, yes. I'll have to agree." Karthaji agreed.

"So, what did you do?" Enjo asked.

"He suggested that Ibuki should go there in my place instead." Tommy replied. "So far, I think it's workin'. Govi hasn't come after me yet."

"I can feel her actions from here. She's currently in close combat with the man… and she's winning."

"Goddamn! You trained her well, didn't you?"

"She's been trained for most of her life. She didn't officially start training until she was able to walk by age two."

"When did she grasp her first kunai?"

"By her age of eight."

"Huh! You made her progress quickly… like I do in most cases."

"Exactly. She seemed to have figured out most of the training herself as the years went by. She never ceased to amaze me."

"No kiddin'."

"Now, what about Don-chan? How is he doing?"

"He's been doin' great, thanks to Cammy. He finally ate solid food without bringin' it back up, if you catch my drift. Hovi and Jovi are back over there now, taking care of him. As for the charity for his surgery, we're almost there. We just need another 50,000 dollars and we'll be able to afford to get Don fixed."

"WHOA!"Johnnie exclaimed. "You ain't neva tell me all dat, son!"

"Yeah, Dad. So many people in this world really care about Don. That news report was aired internationally. They saw the brave sacrifice he took to save Ibuki's life and they respect and honor him for it."

"Wow. And I thought that _they _thought he messed up Street Fighter, bein' a distraction and all."

"No." Karthaji protested. "He contributed to it quite well."

"Well, I'll be damned."

"It's alright." Sanjou came in with a smile. "Most people don't know Don-chan too well for that. Any more new information?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied. "Ibuki was in tears when she heard that Hovi and Jovi knew her real parents this whole time and they never said a thing until today."

"Ah, yes! About her parents… are you all ready to see them? They are waiting in the assembly room at the center of the Glade with Yuta."

"Hell, yeah. We ready! Let's go!" Johnnie exclaimed.

"I should warn you. Ibuki's mother doesn't take to that kind of talk… the slang that is. She prefers proper terms for everything."

"Piece of cake."

"Good luck with that, then." Tommy said with humor, making Karmayah and Karthaji chuckle as well as Enjo and Sanjou as they all headed for the building. Johnnie was confused by all the chuckling.

"What? What's so damn funny? Huh? WHAT?"

Meanwhile, back at Sarusuberi…

Govi was just blasted to the green tile wall next to the exit by Ibuki's Yoroitoshi, leaving him bleeding all over his body. As for Kendra and the rest of the football team, they were kept safe and sound in the lunch line section of the café, watching the fight from there. Ibuki calmly stretched her arms so casually, it was not impressing Govi at all. Seeing this offended him.

"You nearly broke a sweat!" Govi protested as he struggled to get on his feet. Ibuki yawned as her response as she continued to stretch with her eyes closed. "HEY! I'm talkin' to ya, bitch!"

"Yeah, I heard ya." Ibuki replied with her smug smile. "So?"

"Grrrrr! You've gained some strength and I don't like it at all! Aren't ya gonna come at me?"

"I would, but it would be against my honor to attack someone who's nearing his death."

"WHA-? Okay! You think you're so cocky! I'll show ya!" Govi reached behind him to grab his swords, but to his horror, they weren't in the sheaths behind him. "What the fuck…? Where are my swords?"

"Awww, are you looking for these?" Ibuki pulled out the two swords from behind her and held them professionally, making a stainless steel X in front of her while she still kept her confident smile on her adorable face. Govi was wide eyed as he saw the swords and tried to get up, but the sudden pain of paralysis took effect as soon as he tried to dash off towards her, making him bend over in extreme pain. "Yeah. Can't get me now, can you? I think I found a good use for these. Excuse me for a minute, motherfucker." After that, Ibuki smoothly turned around towards Snow's dead body and as soon as she slowly kneeled down towards him, she read one of the sword's kanji symbols. She translated it into 'Soul' and raised an eyebrow with astonishment. "Soul, huh?"

"Ibuki! AGH!" Govi tried to stop her again, but once again, his paralysis took over him and he couldn't move. He knew she would find out about the swords and grew nervous as the young kunoichi continued.

"What does it say on the other sword?" Ibuki completely ignored him, as if she was temporarily deaf, as she continued to examine both swords. She gently placed down the Soul sword and looked at the second one, which she translated into 'Stabber'. Her beautiful brown eyes widened in realization as she added it all up and looked at the dead albino monitor lizard before her with a smile. "Stabber? Soul Stabber! Hmmmm…" Ibuki kept her confident smile as she picked up the Soul sword with her free hand and, with careful precision, she shaped the two swords in the form of an X again before she slowly laid down on her stomach on the cold tile floor before she closed her eyes and laid the X shaped swords right at Snow's midsection and started chanting a rhyme, which was a spell towards the swords:

"Granted are these swords with a new life

Return it back to its rightful place

And he shall return to Earth from Heaven

Bringing forth nothing but pure peace."

Govi froze after that perfectly spoken small poem was said by Ibuki and in less than ten seconds, Snow's multiple stab wounds and his puddle of blood disappeared before he suddenly opened his eyes and took a very deep inhale as he came back to life! This sent Kendra into silent happy tears while the football team behind her cheered. Bobby was the only one that was quietly enjoying the scene with Kendra as he held her hand with hope.

Back in the middle of the café, Ibuki opened her eyes and looked at her progress as she gently laid the two swords down next to her, one of each side, and just rested her head on top of her folded arms casually with a smile. Snow slowly lifted his head and smiled as well when he saw her face.

"Ibu… ki?" Snow managed to speak before he coughed twice, getting in all of his oxygen. "You… you saved me from… from… (cough, cough)… from Death?"

"I didn't have to, I know." Ibuki replied. "But, I wanted to… for Tommy's sake. He would be crushed without you, despite bein' with his Mom after sixteen years."

"What a brave thing you do. Your fear of Govi has demolished, yes?"

"Pretty much. He's just a pushover now."

"A pushova?" Govi screamed with fury in his blue eyes. "I ain't no pushova!"

"That's what all overconfident men say." Ibuki kept her eyes focused on Snow as she slowly stood up on her knees. "Can you move, Snow?"

"I… think so, yes." Snow replied as he tried to stand on all fours. He struggled for about a minute or so before he finally regained enough strength to maintain his heavy weight. Ibuki could still see his bowlegged limbs continue to slightly shiver with effort as she offered both of her arms out to him.

"You're… still struggling a little bit. How about I carry you on my back until we get to the Glade?"

"Can you carry me? I am one of the heaviest creatures on Earth."

"I carried ya while you were dead. I think I can handle you."

"Ahh, splendid." Snow prepared himself to get picked up and Ibuki did so, gently holding him up from under his long tail. When she turned around towards Govi, she still kept a smile of confidence on her cute face as she headed for the exit.

"Well…" Ibuki made a long pause as she casually walked past a paralyzed Govi, who just looked up at her with a look of anger as she passed by. When she was at the double doors, she stopped, turned her head towards him slightly, and gave him the middle finger before she finished off by saying seductively: "…bye." After that, Ibuki continued on her way out, making her swaying ponytail bring peace and tranquility to the room as she left. When she was completely gone, Bobby tapped the tearful Brutus on his shoulder and whispered to him:

"Keep the rest of the team company, buddy. Kendra and I are gonna go see Ibuki's parents."

"Okay." Brutus replied. "What do ya want us ta do with Govi, since he's still paralyzed?"

"Keep a close eye on him and Coach… you call the cops."

"You got it, Bobby." Broderick replied as he pulled out his cell phone.

"Let's go, Kendra! We gotta catch up to Ibuki."

Meanwhile, back at the Glade…

Enjo, Sanjou, The Jones', and Karmayah just entered in the meeting building. Enjo and Sanjou stepped aside as Enjo spoke.

"Tommy… Johnnie… Karthaji… and Karmayah… here… are Ibuki's real parents: Dyvokhan Var Totanuki and Zazari Foquar Totanuki."

All four of them were in tears as they saw the same exact people Tommy and Karthaji saw in the photo, except Dyvokhan's ponytail was nearly touching the floor, having his being longer than Ibuki's by only five inches. Tommy came face-to-face with Dyvokhan first and smiled with all the appreciation he had before he gently gave him a loving embrace in welcome. Karthaji did the same when she approached Zazari. Karmayah and Johnnie joined afterwards and the two masters and Yuta watched this scene with non-stop happy tears.

"How long did it take for you to find them, Enjo?" Yuta dared to ask.

"For as many years as Ibuki's current age." Enjo replied.

"It took ya twenty years to find them?"

"Yes. It wasn't an easy search. Many people thought they were dead, but I proved them all wrong."

"Wow."

"It's… it's good to finally meet you." Tommy started the conversation. "My name is Tommy Jaymes Jones and these are my parents, Karthaji and Johnnie."

"Nice to meet you all as well." Dyvokhan replied in a not-too-deep male elder's voice. "I've heard from these ninjas that you have taken good care of our only daughter, who they named Ibuki."

"Yes. I knew she was an only child to begin with and I was right. What… were you going to name her?"

"We did not have any ideas at the time and we had to save her immediately!" Zazari replied in a not-too-deep motherly tone of her elderly voice. "Naming her would have been impossible."

"Besides, Ibuki sounds perfect. It suits her very well." Dyvokhan added. "Where is she?"

"There she is." Yuta pointed out as he saw Sarai and Ibuki just walk in with a live Snow in between them. Bobby and Kendra came in just seconds after them. Ibuki froze in her steps when she eyed her long lost parents and just started to tear up with a look of shock for about a minute before she unexpectedly dashed for them and they managed to catch her in the loving embrace and held each other there with tears pouring out like waterfalls on each other. Everyone surrounding the scene cried like big babies for the next two minutes before they slowly broke up the hug and Zazari took a good look at Ibuki.

"Oh, my God! You… are my baby?" She asked with her never-ending tears of joy. Ibuki nodded, trying to wipe away her tears. "You look just like your Father… like a twin."

"I had a feeling I did." Ibuki agreed. "Now, you know I have a lot of questions to ask you, right?"

"Indeed you do." Dyvokhan replied. "But first, let's finish taking a good look at you."

Ibuki stood perfectly still as she was getting inspected by her parents for any injuries or any other strange abnormalities. Everyone else around them dared not to disturb them as they just watched with big smiles on their faces.

"Hmmmm…" Dyvokhan started. "…how tall are you?"

"Five feet and four inches." Ibuki replied.

"Huh! Nearly as short as me." Zazari commented as she played with Ibuki's famous ponytail. "You have the same exact ponytail as your Father predicted, but you got the three strands up here from me. Now, here's my first question. When we abandoned you as a baby, who found you?"

"That would be me." Master Enjo replied. "I was part of the Geki when I found her. She was a well-behaved little girl as she grew."

"I sure hope so." Dyvokhan added.

"Dad!" Ibuki exclaimed, which made her feel good.

"It's the truth! Now, here's my question. Were you imprisoned in the ancient ninja style, like a spell you could never break?"

"Sort of. I was still trying to be a normal girl on the side and I think I succeeded."

"That's my girl!" After that was said, Dyvokhan just took a good gentle hold on his daughter's breasts and she just stood there with an offended look as he continued. "Your breasts are bigger than I thought."

"Why say that, Daddy?"

"Well… just look at your Mother's." Ibuki did so and gasped. "Her breast size is professionally classified as 'Nearly D', but I guess it's as close as she can get. As for you, I would say you were 'Nearly D' as well, but not quite."

"Uh, huh… you better say that, Dad. Tommy works hard on them when it comes to sex."

"I see." Zazari replied. "Which brings me to my next question. Have you… um…"

"'Um'? I thought you hated that kind of talk, Mom."

"Well, I lied. I was just telling that to Enjo just to tease him."

"Figures." Enjo muttered.

"Anyway, Ibuki… have you ever… uh… pleasured yourself at night or any time for that matter?"

"What? Funny to hear a question like that from you." Ibuki replied.

"I know, but I must know. Because… you see, before I met your father, I used to do it all the time because I was just sexually starved and I really wanted a child."

"No kiddin'! Well, in that case, yeah. I've done it since I turned seventeen. The longest I've lasted was a good five hours."

"Good lord… I've lasted for more than seven!"

"MOM!"

"Whoa…" Yuta and Tommy muttered at the same time by accident. Dyvokhan nodded in agreement with his wife.

"It's true… and I've seen it happen half the time that night before I fell asleep." He added. Ibuki looked at both of her parents with shock. "You had to know about it sometime, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but… wait." Ibuki replied, then paused for a moment. "Your voice, Daddy… I'm hearing it now. You were the one in my nightmare where Govi was raping me."

"Speaking of him, what did you do to him? Did you kill that bastard?"

"I almost did, but I bet he's still trying to break out of his paralysis, but forget about him for one minute. I wanna know why you abandoned me. Didn't you love me?"

"Of course, we did. Your Mother and I loved you so much, but there was a riot over the Geki taking over with brute force and they swore to kill any new children that just came into the world… and you were one of those children who were at risk."

"Huh!" Enjo exclaimed. "And the Geki found her abandoned, but never lynched her. They figured she would be raised into one of them… become the ultimate killer, but I didn't let that happen. I felt sympathy for her and I wanted her to be more of a harmless ninja towards society, but she had to keep her status of a ninja sealed away from the public for her own safety, so she could get an education just like the other kids."

"I see." Zazari replied.

"Deep down, however, she didn't want to be a ninja, but I keep telling her she had no choice. Once she understood that, she decided to stick with it until she could finally break free from it."

"But, I can't now." Ibuki added. "I may be a normal woman ninety percent of the time, but I'm still ten percent ninja. I gotta defend myself, ya know."

"That's true." Zazari agreed. "But, I'm glad to see that you're perfectly fine all over. Despite your ninja background, you have been taken care of very well and I thank you and the rest of the Glade for taking good care of our little girl."

"The pleasure's all ours." Sanjou replied. "She's been an excellent pupil towards us and she's even doing excellent in college right now, despite everything she's been through."

"Oh? You've been through so much, huh? Well, you have already told us about Govi, but what else ailed you, sweetheart?"

"Tommy's ex girlfriend." Ibuki replied as she allowed Tommy to stand by her side on her right. "She's been forcing him to do her bidding since high school and when she met me, flames were just going through the roof like crazy!"

"Oh, my!"

"Haven't seen her yet." Dyvokhan came in. "Where is she?"

"I killed her myself." Tommy replied with honesty. "Over the past few years of my relationship with Sasha, I could never gather the guts to tell her that I hated her or that I wanted to kill her. The thing is… I have an excllent reputation of respecting women, thanks to my Mother right here." Karthaji approached the four right after that last statement was said. "I am a 'Mama's boy' at heart."

"And Ibuki is 'Daddy's little girl'."

"Heh, heh… yeah." Ibuki agreed with her famous valley girl giggle.

"You're a gentle giant, huh?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied. "Even though I'm one of the roughest football players in Sarusuberi, I'm still gentle at heart. I'll only use violence if I need to."

"Awww, that's so sweet. I like him already, honey." Zazari commented, looking up at her husband, who nodded in agreement.

"I'll have to agree." Dyvokhan replied. "Tommy, you have taken good care of our daughter and you even managed to remain gentle, despite everything that's happened. You have our blessing."

"Awww, thank you, Daddy!" Ibuki nearly tackled her father in a loving embrace, nearly crying happy tears. Zazari joined in as she spoke.

"We're proud of you for choosing your perfect man on your own." She added. "Now, Ibuki…"

"Yes, Mom?" Ibuki slowly broke away from the hug as she faced Zazari.

"We understand that Tommy wanted to know where Uncle G is, correct?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied. "So, where is he?"

"Well, while Zazari and I were staying in Nagasaki for a while, we spotted him trying to escape from Japan by plane. Turns out, they already knew about his criminal act and decided not to let him fly. He was trying to head back to Russia, where the crime started." Dyvokhan replied.

"He is such a wimp!" Ibuki exclaimed. "Why can't he come clean?"

"That's just it. He knows what he did wrong and doesn't want to get caught."

"But, he is still hiding in Nagasaki somewhere nonetheless and you two must capture him so he can be in Karthaji's place in prison." Zazari added.

"But… what about Govi, honey?"

"He's not going anywhere. I've gain tons of strength and courage since I first heard about you finally being found." Ibuki replied. "We'll find Uncle G before Govi breaks out of the paralysis. Besides, I've got Tommy's football team watching him. They'll let me know when something comes up."

"Good. Enjo, you keep the rest of these people here at the Glade. Zazari, Karthaji, Tommy, Ibuki, Johnnie, and I will go to Nagasaki and bring this cowardly criminal to justice once and for all."

"Got it, Dyvokhan." Enjo replied. Ibuki approached Sarai and gently placed hands on both of her shoulders as she spoke.

"Sarai, you go to this abandoned factory where Don-chan is being kept safe with Hovi and Jovi." Ibuki started softly, so her parents wouldn't hear. "Since you're the one who knows my phone number, you call me and let me know what's up with Don every now and then. Okay?"

"Got it." Sarai replied just as softly. Ibuki handed her a piece of paper that had the address to the factory on it. "You spend as much time as you can with your parents, Ibuki. I'm just so happy to see you with them."

"Me, too… and thanks."

"Ibuki!" Dyvokhan called out.

"Yes, Daddy?" Ibuki turned around and approached her parents.

"Since you're the ninja in our team, you're repsonsible for keeping Uncle G on his toes. He may be a coward, but he doesn't surrender without a fight, if you catch my drift."

"I get it completely."

"Good. Now, let's get him, everyone."

"We can take my car." Tommy added as he and the rest of the team walked out towards the outside of the bamboo forest. As they were walking, Ibuki kept a good hold on her father's arm the entire time while she kept her extremely cute smile in check, looking up at him every once in a while. Dyvokhan looked down at her every once in a while as well and they were just extremely happy to finally be reunited after more than twenty years. Zazari looked behind her and saw how close her husband and daughter were and decided to just hold Ibuki's free hand with a passionate smile.

This was indeed a family reunion unlike no other.

To be continued…


	17. Justice at its Best

Chapter 17: Justice at its Best

The happiest moment in Ibuki's life was too surreal to her, but she was still overjoyed to finally reunite with her long lost parents after over twenty years. It was even more of a thrill to hear that the brothers of her enemy knew them the entire time, but never had the chance to say a word. Now, Uncle G was the main focus and Tommy was just about ready to head for Nagasaki, but he just realized one little thing:

"It's late, ya'll." Tommy started, making his parents, Ibuki's parents, and Ibuki look at him with surprise. "We've been so caught up in the moment and never realized dat it's knockin' on midnight."

"Wow." Karthaji gasped softly. "I guess we need to get some sleep for tonight. We can head for Nagasaki in the morning."

"Excellent idea." Dyvokhan agreed. "But, where can Zazari and I stay?"

"Tommy and I have a college dorm room we need to go back to." Ibuki reminded.

"And my parents have the back of Animals of Happiness to sleep in." Tommy added. "Hmmmm…"

"Hey, Tommy! What about Sasha's old hotel room? She never gave it up before you killed her. My parents can stay there."

"Aww, that's a wonderful idea." Zazari commented. "At least, it's somewhere."

"Yep! I just… hope her stuff is still there."

"Oh? Why?"

"You can discover who Sasha was and why she was such a pain in the ass."

"Huh! Of course."

"HA!" Dyvokhan chuckled. "I see you got the same sour mouth as me as well. I didn't hear that coming!"

"Heh, heh… yeah. I am old enough to say those words, right?"

"Yes. Yes, you are… and try to take it easy on it, okay?"

"Yeah, sure, Dad. Whatever."

"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh!" Tommy chuckled after that whole scene. "Shall we get some shut eye then, ya'll?"

Twenty minutes later, in Sarusuberi's Main Hall…

Tommy, Ibuki, and just a few seconds later, Bobby and Kendra just got inside and saw a huddle of about seven officers in the middle of the hallway. Ibuki showed a look of determination on her adorable face as she held Tommy, Bobby, and Kendra back, silently telling them to stay back and they obeyed as they allowed the brave young kunoichi to face her fear and possibly laugh at it in its face. One officer saw her approaching and decided to let her stand between him and another officer as she looked down at the struggling Govi beneath their strong hands.

"Hey, punk-ass." Ibuki greeted smoothly, still keeping the cuteness in her voice. "Enjoyed your paralysis?"

"Ugh!" Govi groaned as he continued to struggle. "Ya… bitch! How… dare ya let my… broddas join yo' side, eh? They're… da only piece of family… ugh… I have left."

"Awwww… too bad."

"…WHAT?"

"Look, I kinda understand the issue with your family, but when it comes to the raping charges you placed upon yourself, I just can't feel sympathy for you."

"Grrrrr! You're gonna regret dose woids!"

"Oh, tell it someone who gives a shit. Take him back to the doghouse, boys… and make sure he stays there!"

"Yes, ma'am." One officer replied in a country voice. "Well, ya heard 'er! Strap 'im up and get 'im outta here!"

Ten minutes later, in Ibuki and Tommy's dorm room…

Tommy just got out of the bathroom, dressed in nothing but his boxers, after brushing his teeth and relieving himself before he headed for the bed, where Ibuki was already laying down, facing him with a smile, cuddled under her covers. Seeing this cute scene made Tommy smile without any thoughts as he sat down.

"Damn, baby." Tommy started. "I guess you did toughen up against Govi. He ain't no threat to you now, huh?"

"Hell, no!" Ibuki replied. "I'll never forget what he's done to me, I know… but at least, I can get back at him and feel relieved."

"That's good… and how do you feel since you finally met your real parents?"

"I feel like a new girl, Tommy." Ibuki started leaking happy tears as she continued. "I… I never thought they could be still alive. Seeing how rough the Geki used to be, I always thought they killed a good number of people."

"But, your parents are left out. The Geki only resided in Tokyo most of the time."

"Yeah."

"Which brings me to my next question: When your Dad told you to ease up on the cussin', did you really listen to him? Because you replied to it like you didn't care."

"Oh, yeah, I heard him… I just can't help it. That's all."

"I understand." Tommy finally laid down next to her, placing one huge arm around her body for additional warmth towards her. "Maybe he meant to take it easy around them instead."

"I hope so."

The next morning, at the Tiger Paradise Hotel…

Dyvokhan slowly opened his eyes as he saw the sun beams through the window right in front of him. He smiled as he slowly sat up and stretched and checked the digital clock beside him. He saw that it was 7:25 am. He humphed at it as he got out of the covers, showing that he was dressed in a tank top and boxers. He kept a smile on his face as he stood up, looked around the room and just explored for a little while. When he came across Sasha's luggage, his curiosity level kicked in as he approached it and zipped it open, revealing mostly clothes and he even came across what he didn't expect to see a woman's luggage: a pair of .45 caliber pistols, fully loaded. He grew wide eyed in realization before he called out to his wife.

"Zazari! Come look at this!" He called out. Zazari woke up slowly as she stretched her arms while she yawned before she spoke.

"What is it, honey?" She asked him tiredly before she watched her husband pull out the same two pistols he just discovered. This made her beautiful light brown eyes widen with horror as she continued. "OH, MY GOD! Were… were they in Sasha's luggage?"

"Yes… and they appear to be fully loaded and ready to fire. The safety's on, but the bullets are untouched."

"What was she planning on doing with those?"

"Hmmm… Didn't Ibuki say that Tommy's had some trouble with Sasha?"

"Yes."

"Maybe these guns do have a connection to it all. I'll hang on to them. I can trust Ibuki around kunai and ninja stars, but not guns."

"Good idea. We can use them against Uncle G, if he happens to be too much for Ibuki to handle."

"Now you're speaking my language, baby."

Thirty minutes later, in the hotel's main lobby…

Dyvokhan and Zazari just got down the stairs, dressed in their respective outfits of a brown short sleeved t-shirt, blue baggy jeans, and white sneakers and a white tunic with black kimono pants, and beautiful white flats, and headed for the exit. When they stepped outside, they already saw Snow sitting like the good lizard he is. Zazari nearly panicked, but Dyvokhan calmed her down just in time.

"Oh, my goodness!" She gasped. "What is that?"

"It's a pure white Komodo dragon." Dyvokhan replied as he kneeled down towards the giant lizard and gave him a gentle massage between his eyes. "Where did you come from?"

"My name is Snow." Snow started. "I am pet of Tommy Jaymes Jones. I was dead, but your daughter revived me by using Govi's Soul Stabber swords."

"I've heard of that incident." Zazari replied. "I'm glad you're okay, but… Tommy's pet? Unbelievable!"

"You better believe it. Wait a minute… aren't you Dyvokhan Var Totanuki?"

"Yes." Dyvokhan replied. "Should I know you?"

"You should. Darikosho tells me he knows you, yes?"

"Darikosho Krylii Jones?"

"Yes. You remember now?"

"Yes. He was a friend of mine. What happened to him?"

"His stroke killed him faster than your daughter's Hashinsho."

"Oh, no… and I'm guessing he passed his ownership of you towards Tommy."

"Yes… along with his car and the rest of his money remaining in his savings account."

"Well! Stunning turn of events in my book! Anyway, since that's the case, what are you doing here?"

"Tommy has sent me to retrieve you both. He and Ibuki are waiting for you in dorm room. I should warn you before we get there… they… might be in middle of steaming passion… since they couldn't do it last night, if you catch drift, please."

"Uh, oh…" Zazari muttered as she showed an anime sweatdrop behind her head. "Don't tell me she has the same extreme lust for passion, like I used to have…"

Meanwhile, in Tommy and Ibuki's dorm room…

"Aaaaaahhhhhh, yeah, Tommy… that's the spot… oooooohh…" Ibuki moaned with passion as she was lying down on her back with her eyes closed out of desperation, leaking tears in the same manner. She was still in her tank top, but Tommy was under the covers this time while he worked his sexual tongue all over her wet pussy. Small orgasms came to her every thirty seconds and they were slowly getting more and more intense as Ibuki held on to the bed sheets for dear life. She managed to look down at him with her eyes without moving her head and it gave her a seductive look as she continued. "Yeah, Tommy… aaahhh… that… that tastes good… doesn't it? You bad dog… ooooh…"

"Mmmmmm!" Tommy hummed as he stopped for a moment to lick his lips. Ibuki's hips were still moving a little bit from her lingering orgasms as he continued. "Damn, Sexy-buki. And I thought I couldn't handle _your _mouth."

"You make it so good, baby. I want you in me now. Pleeeeeeeease?"

"You sure? You don't wanna cum in my mouth, baby?"

"…Do you want me to?"

"Don't test me, girl."

"Awww, who said I was testing you? I'm just asking you a simple question."

"Well, yeah."

"Then, finish, damn it! Don't make me procrastinate about this!"

"A'ight." Tommy slowly leaned back down towards Ibuki's dripping pussy and just concentrated on sucking her extremely sensitive clit this time and this immediately sent her sitting up with a look of lustful insanity, having her brown eyes as wide open as they could get as she gasped hard.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH, SHHHHIT!" She tried so hard to close her legs in reflexive response, but Tommy, having just as precise of a response, wasn't going to let that happen as he used his big, strong hands to hold them open, giving him more of her moist lips. At this point, Ibuki lost all control of her body and just allowed her demanding instincts drive her through her most intense orgasmic roller coaster ride. "AAAAAHHHH, YEAH… TOMMY! OH, GOD, TOMMY! DON'T… UGH… whew… just don't stop, baby… oh, fuck… that feels soooooo good… mmmmmm…"

"Mm-hm." Tommy agreed verbally as he spoke in his mind:

_Talk about 'Right back at ya'! Damn, this must be very sensitive. It's no wonder she went nuts during my lil' GIVE thang. That's what makes it fun, though. Heh, heh._

"Taaaa, haaaaa…" Ibuki continued to moan as she finally found the strength to hold Tommy's head closer to her wet pussy, immediately increasing the intensity of her upcoming orgasm. It was getting so good and so close to her, that she couldn't control her fast humping speed on his face in reflexive response. "…oooooh, ohhhh… Tommy… I… I'm… I'm getting clo… hose! Yaaaaahhhh!" Tommy didn't miss a single beat as he increased his suction power and Ibuki was just sweating uncontrollably all over her body, making her smooth skin even smoother.

While this scene was still going on, Snow finally arrived with Ibuki's parents right behind him. He gently stopped them right at the doorway and allowed them to watch for about five seconds before all three of them quietly walked in and allowed Ibuki's parents to take a seat while Snow laid down at their feet.

"Oh, my goodness!" Zazari whispered. "I was right. She does have that same lust for passion, just like me. Even though I don't very necessarily approve of this scene, I still think it's romantic to see our only daughter involved in something like this."

"Huh!" Dyvokhan agreed while he crossed his arms. "I've never seen this before. We've never done that back then. Young people today… I swear…"

"Tee, hee… getting aroused, dear?"

"I wish I would, but that is just… vile… in a good way."

"It looks like it feels fantastic. Shhh. Let's not be rude and let them finish."

Back on the bed…

"Aaaaaahhh, Tommy!" Ibuki gasped hard as she was getting so close. "Oooooh… aaahhhh… OOH, YES! TOMMY… I'M ALMOST THERE! DON'T YOU FUCKIN' STOP! SUCK ME HARDER!" In less than five seconds after that was said, Tommy obeyed her command and Ibuki froze as she gasped hard one more time before… "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH, TOMMYYY!" Ibuki finally came with a vengance and Tommy just ingulfed her squirting pussy into his mouth and just tasted her. Ibuki continued to scream with all the lust she had as she rode through this orgasm for the next three minutes before she finally calmed down and plopped down back on her pillow and turned her head towards her parents, who startled her. Tommy was just as surprised as he finished licking his lips. "Mom! Dad! What-uh… what… what are you doing here?"

"Apparently, one of you sent Snow here to get us." Dyvokhan replied with crossed arms, intimidating his daughter.

"Yeah, it was me." Tommy replied with honesty. "Why didn't Snow let ya'll wait out in the hallway?"

"It had me all curious." Zazari replied. "Now I see where Ibuki gets her undeniable passion from."

"I got it from you, didn't I?" Ibuki asked her mother as she slowly sat up, holding her covers against her legs to cover her privacy. Zazari nodded. "Go figure, Mom."

"I know, but either way, it was entertaining."

"Isn't it a school day for you both?" Dyvokhan asked, keeping his serious glare at the couple.

"Yeah, but we still got a good twenty minutes before class." Tommy replied as he sat up at Ibuki's feet. "Don't get all serious now."

"You know I can't help it, son."

"Yeah, he's right, ya know…" Ibuki muttered.

"Anyway, I'm guessing that since you two do have classes today, we'll head for Nagasaki later. In the meantime, Tommy…" Dyvokhan paused as he pulled out the same pair of pistols he found in Sasha's luggage. "…when I woke up this morning, I found these guns hiding underneath Sasha's clothes in her luggage. The safety's on both of them, but they are also armed, filled with bullets, and ready for use… but the bullets have never been shot."

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Ibuki and Tommy exclaimed together by accident, having Ibuki slip her silk panties back on underneath the covers. Tommy got to his feet and took a closer look at the guns as he carefully took one of them.

"Judging by these weapons, I'm guessing you really did have some issues with Sasha."

"Why… would she have these?" Tommy asked with sorrow. "I wonder how long she had them."

"Too bad it's a little too late to find out." Ibuki muttered with shame. "You killed her, remember?"

"Damn! Why didn't I see this coming?"

"What in God's name was wrong with your relationship with Sasha, having her carry these guns?" Zazari asked.

"She was a bit of a manipulator. I've never seen her carry guns before and this takes the cake by a mile!"

"Hmmm… maybe there was a plan B involved somewhere…" Dyvokhan guessed. "…in case Govi didn't succeed…"

"So, Darikosho was right! Sending Ibuki to him in my place was the best way to go! Either way, if it was towards Sasha or Govi, I would've died."

"But, we killed Sasha before all of this happened." Ibuki added. "We must be doing all of this right, Tommy!"

"YES!"

"But, still… Sasha wanted to kill you?"

"It's not him she was aiming at. It's you, Ibuki." Dyvokhan said with a serious tone.

"Me?"

"Yes… just in case Tommy fell in love with you and she had no choice, if she hadn't achieved Govi's assistance."

"Well, damn it all. Why do I keep getting myself involved in these situations?"

"Even bad things can happen to good people, sweetheart." Zazari reassured. Tommy and Ibuki nodded at that statement in understanding.

"Same thing happens to me." Tommy agreed.

"Just be glad that you were able to kill her before she had her chance."

"I guess you're right, Mom." Ibuki agreed.

"Give me the guns, Mr. Totanuki." Tommy commanded as Dyvokhan obeyed. "I'll keep them safe here with Snow until I need 'em. Right now, we have classes to go to. Meet us at the main entrance of Sarusuberi at 5 PM."

"Got it!" Dyvokhan replied as he and Zazari stood up. "We'll be back at Sasha's hotel, if you need us beforehand." After that was said, both parents left the room with confidence. When they were gone, Snow volunteered to push the door closed with his head while Ibuki just stared at the guns on Tommy's nightstand with sorrow. Tommy saw this from the closet as he was getting his clothes for the day and frowned with her.

"I… I still can't believe that… Sasha was planning to kill me." She groaned with sadness. Tommy grabbed a black tank top before he gently placed it down on the bed and hugged Ibuki from behind, making her grab his warm, protective arms in response. "What if she had 'em during your very first football game? I wouldn't be in your arms right now."

"That's true, baby." Tommy agreed. "I wonder if Darikosho knew she had 'em and somehow told her inner self not to bring them."

"You couldn't be more right, my grandson." Darikosho came in through the dorm's mirror as the couple turned towards it at full attention, having Tommy still hold Ibuki in his huge arms without crushing her. "Not only have I been watching the both of you, I have also been watching Sasha. She was a pretty bad influence at practically everywhere she walked and even the fact that she hid guns in her luggage was a complete plot twist to me."

"So, what did you do?"

"When I saw her arrive here in Japan, I knew the airport terminal missed a bag to scan and it just so happened to be the one with the guns inside. Then, on that night of your first football game, before she arrived at the stadium, she was actually in a state of panic when she tried to rummage for her weapons. When I saw that she was about ninty-five percent successful in getting her guns, she must've felt my presence before I could even whisper to her and she immediately canceled her operation and just went to the game unarmed. In other words, Ibuki-chan, I saved your life."

"So, my life was saved twice since I got here." Ibuki guessed. "Wow!"

"You are a brave fighter, Ibuki. Being a ninja may not be your huge interest, but you use those skills and shove in some bad cake on the side as well towards your enemies."

"Yeah, that's true. I am a pretty bad-ass ninja, huh?"

"Heh, heh! In your manner of speaking, yes. As for Uncle G, it seems that he is on to you all. He knows you're coming for him later on, so be careful and good luck." After that, Darikosho disappeared into the heavens with a smile. Tommy held Ibuki closer to him with all the joy he had and even gave her a small kiss on the cheek.

"I always knew there was still a brighter side to all this." He commented after the small kiss. "You are a bad-ass ninja, baby girl. Speakin' of, are you just about done with the training?"

"Well, I haven't received any word about it yet." Ibuki replied with a cute smile, feeling all the love from Tommy's warm kiss. "But, I'm sure I'm pretty much a master at this point. Who knows? Maybe I might teach you the ways of the ninja someday."

"Naw, but thanks, though. I'd rather handle a sword than a kunai."

"You look like you could be a swordsman. Anyway, let's get ready for school. I really wanna see how bad of a punk Uncle G is."

Meanwhile, with Hovi, Jovi, and Sarai…

Sarai was just feeding Don some more warm chicken noodle soup while Hovi prepared a dog bowl of water for the tanuki to drink. Jovi just sat back and watched the scene with a smile.

"Wow." Sarai started the conversation. "Don is making a better recovery than I thought. For someone who took three bullets to save Ibuki, he sure is a tough little guy. I always knew he was pretty strong for his size."

"Heh, heh… yeah." Jovi agreed. "But, somehow, I've got da strangest feelin' dat dis ain't da only time Don saved Ibuki's life."

"Huh!" Hovi agreed. "Ya know, bro… I was just tinkin' da same ting! Has… Don saved Ibuki befo'?"

"Well… now that you two mention it, yeah." Sarai replied as she kept her focus on feeding Don. "Back when she was sixteen, she was so confident that she could ace the high jumps, but somehow, she was a little too high above the Glade and this huge Phoenix Killerbird swooped down and snagged her, hoping to make her his breakfast. Luckily, thanks to Don's extremely close connection to Ibuki, he was able to track her down and saved her just in time… right before she was eaten alive!"

"Whoa!" Both brothers exclaimed together.

"Yeah. He even wrote his experience down on this notepad." Sarai pulled out a folded sheet of paper from her left pants pocket. "Ibuki has no idea that I'm still holding this small story and I'm willing to surprise her with it someday. Want me to read it?"

"Sure." Hovi replied with Jovi as he placed down the dog bowl full of water down on the metal table next to the tanuki while Sarai stood up from her chair and read it aloud:

"When I felt that teardrop fall on me, I knew something was wrong because it was fairly sunny today. Then, when I looked up, I saw a huge bird carry what looked like Ibuki in the skies. I was terrified beyond belief before I sprung into action and squealed as a sign of my departure before I ran towards that very same cave the bird just landed in. At my physical state, I was able to gain the speed of a cheetah as I ran through the forest towards Ibuki. After running about fifteen miles, I finally reached the mountain and placed my claws into good use as I scurried up the slope just as fast as my running. On my way up, I saw Ibuki's overshirt fly down past me and that was a sign that I must quicken my pace before she's eaten alive! Five minutes went by quicker than I thought and I finally reached the cave, just seeing the bird pierce into Ibuki's back, but before he could finish, I growled with terror before I made a graceful leap towards the bird and headbutted him and we got into a fierce battle. Ibuki was already knocked out by the time the fighting was at its halfway point where he ripped some my flesh and I ripped some of his. This was back and forth for the next ten minutes until I finally claimed victory by getting on top of the eagle's neck and, in one swift motion, I bit into his neck as hard as I could and, not only did it allow me to taste his flesh, I ripped it off as well along with his spine, rendering him dead! I squealed at the top of my lungs in victory before I slowly fell towards the ground with extreme fatigue and managed to have enough energy to crawl towards the unconscious Ibuki, slither my way under her right arm, and just laid there, eventually passing out as well. I will never forget this moment and hopefully… neither will Ibuki."

Hovi and Jovi were just emotionally moved by the entire story and they were both tearing up, but no tears escaped. Sarai started to get a little teary-eyed as well as she folded the small story back up and placed it back in her pocket.

"Awwww." Jovi geered with joy. "Such a sweet story. He nearly risked his own life on dat one… and he nearly risked his life again taday. What's wit 'im?"

"Well, like I said before," Sarai started. "Don's a trooper. He can take a giant bird, he can take three bullets to the abdomen, and he could take a strong kick to his ribs… and still have the strength to protect Ibuki at any cost! He's practically like a little brother to her."

"Oh, I see." Hovi spoke. "It's no wonda dey're so connected towards each odda."

"And it's also why Don's life is more important at this point. As soon as Uncle G comes foreward, Don will be safe and back to his old self again."

"Well, let's hope an' pray fo' da best." Jovi added.

Later, at the main entrance to Sarusuberi at 5:00 pm…

Ibuki, dressed in a black version of her famous ninja dogi, and Tommy, dressed in a black short sleeved t-shirt and matching baggy pants and boots, just met up with Ibuki's parents, who were dressed in identical outfits of dark brown tank tops, black jeans, and light brown boots. Dyvokhan and Zazari were impressed to see Ibuki's ninja's outfit for the first time, but Dyvokhan immediately frowned when he saw the revealing gaps in her pants. Ibuki noticed and reacted quickly.

"Daddy, before you get all personal about the gaps in my pants…" She started in a bored tone of her cute voice. "…they are there for a reason… a good reason."

"Enlighten me." Dyvokhan taunted as he crossed his strong arms with a look of disappointment.

"Aerodynamics… ya know… when I'm leaping from building to building or tree to tree, et cetra."

"Uh, huh. Okay, I'll accept that, if that is the truth."

"It is, Daddy! And you can take that to the bank!"

"Anyway!" Zazari came in. "Shall we gather Tommy's parents at Animals of Happiness?"

Ten minutes later, at Animals of Happiness…

"Okay, now." Johnnie started. "We all here, so what's da plan? Ya know we gotta have one. We can't just go dere and cause a ruckus."

"Of course, honey." Karthaji agreed. "Since Uncle G is my problem to deal with, I'll try to talk some sense into him when he's had enough of Ibuki."

"And trust me." Ibuki started with confidence, as she just smoke bombed herself back to her casual outfit of the tank top and jeans. "He'll never wanna mess with me again after the first five seconds!"

"That's my girl." Dyvokhan cheered. "So, what will Zazari and I do?"

"You two will lead us to Uncle G. Since I know that _he _knows we're on the way, we have to be extra careful when we arrive." Karthaji replied. "As soon as we do get there, don't condone to any violence unless we have no choice and he happens to get wreckless. Ibuki will be our only weapon. I want him to take my place in prison… alive."

"So, you basically want me to beat him senseless to the point of unconsciousness, not death, right?" Ibuki guessed. Karthaji nodded in response.

"Yes, exactly. I'm not one to kill those who have been cruel to me unless I have no other alternative."

"Really? Hmmm…" Ibuki raised an eyebrow with astonishment as she looked up at Tommy, who showed a handsome smile any woman would drool over. "…maybe that's where he got his gentle giant personality from after all."

"Told ya." Tommy agreed.

"I will tell you when you've done too much." Karthaji finished, speaking to Ibuki, who nodded in understanding. "As for you, Tommy… I have a gift for you and I want you to use it for harm, not to kill."

"What?" Tommy approached his Mother after that was said and Karthaji pulled out a long black box that was only three inches tall, a good four feet long, and one inch wide. She looked up at her shocked son with a loving smile before she opened the lid and what Tommy saw… nearly made him faint to the floor. "Whoa! Is… is this…"

"Your grandfather, Darikosho, mentioned his brother, right?"

"Yzyako?"

"Yes. Well, among my Korean side of our family, about fifteen percent of them were ancient samurai warriors. They were swordsmen with an excellent reputation to aquire the skills to kill their opponents without hesitation and plenty of acrobatic stunts that could shock anyone who witnesses them. Among those swordsmen was indeed Darikosho's younger brother, Yzyako. He was, what my people call him, 'The Deadly Dragon of Samurai Warriors'. In other words, he was the Grand Master of all Korean samurais. Since you are a part of this legacy, I now pass his legendary sword on to you, my son." Karthaji carefully lifted the sheathed sword from underneath and slowly handed it to Tommy, who had his happy tears pouring out like a couple of buckets as he took the weapon, held the sheath tight, and carefully pulled out the beautiful stainless titanium sword. He saw his reflection in the four foot long blade and was just speechless as his Mother continued. "As you can see, it's made of one hundred percent stainless titanium, guaranteed to even slice through an elephant's legs without any struggling. Yzyako was the best and was undefeated by anyone who faced him with this sword. A simple decapitation was enough to claim victory ninety percent of the time and he never lost his skills until he retired at his age of 73. Three years later, he preserved this weapon just five minutes before a heartattack claimed his life… but before he died, he swore to pass this sword to someone worthy in the future generation and it just so happens to be you, Tommy. The moment you gripped the handle, did you feel anything?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied with astonishment. "I… I feel… stronger… like the spirit of my great grandfather is flowing right through me… and I feel like I already know how to use it, even though I've never handled a sword in my life!"

"Good. That's exactly what you should be feeling. By aquiring this sword, you can relive Yzyako's dream of being the most powerful samurai in the Jones' family of your Korean roots. Handle it with pride."

Johnnie, Ibuki, and her parents were all shocked and speechless to see this scene before them, especially Ibuki. She had no idea she was dating a future samurai and reality really kicked her in the butt as she watched her boyfriend take a few careful swings of the sword.

"Most inexperienced warriors feel the extreme weight of the metal, but it's light as feather to you, Tommy." Karthaji continued. "To Yzyako, it was just as light. Therefore, you _are _the true future generation to handle this sword."

"Damn, this thing's sweet, Mom!" Tommy exclaimed as he carefully placed the sword back in its sheath and securely tied it around his belt loop on his right side. "I'll be careful with it."

"Good. You will do both of your grandfathers' proud. Now, let's head out."

Meanwhile, at the Tokyo Criminal Facility…

Almost every guard was standing in between two cells, holding shotguns as they all guarded Govi's chamber. Two more were right at the big metal door, one on each side, with shotguns as well. As for Govi inside the chamber, he was wearing a straightjacket, chained down, and his neck was strapped into a metal cuff that was attached to the wall behind him, making him sit up straight without choking him. He just stared at the door before him with a look of vengance. He couldn't believe he was that close to Ibuki after so many years since he raped her and failed again. On top of that, she even revived Snow with his own weapons and that really made his blood boil. Everything he had planned was ruined completely and there was nothing he could do to make it all happen again. Since his brothers were now on Ibuki's side and Sasha was killed, he had nothing now. All he had to have… was patience. He couldn't move now and he was forced to live without food and water until Ibuki captured Uncle G. That way, he could settle score with her once and for all once she gets back. Just thinking about that made his sinister face look even more evil as he spoke to himself.

"What da fuck have I gotten myself inta?" He muttered, since he couldn't talk every well, thanks to the metal collar attached to the wall. "If I hadn't killed Ma, all dis would've neva happened. Now, I gots ta wait until Ibuki gets back. She really wasn't jokin' 'round when she told dose damn guards ta make sure I stayed here. I can't eat or drink nothin' now and I gotta suffa! Fuck, man! I hate dis shit!"

"HEY!" One of the guards yelled through the door. "QUIET DOWN IN THERE! IBUKI GAVE US STRICT ORDERS TO KEEP YOU HERE UNTIL SHE RETURNS! DON'T MAKE ME REPORT YOUR BEHAVIOR TO HER EARLY!"

"…" Govi immediately got quiet after that. After suffering some minor case of paralysis earlier, he sure doesn't want that to happen again. He decided to stay quiet until Ibuki came back.

_Humph! _Govi spoke in his mind as he kept quiet verbally. _Dose guards don't scare me. If I wasn't triple chained, I would've handled dem all! Just wait 'til ya gets back, Ibuki. I'll make ya swear ya neva strapped me down like dis in da foist place! Heh, heh, heh, heh! _

Meanwhile, on the car ride to Nagasaki, driven in the EfficientDynamics car by Tommy…

"Tommy… I… never knew your family were samurais on the Korean half." Ibuki started the conversation, sitting in the passenger seat. "You really had no idea, huh?"

"Naw, I swear." Tommy confessed. "But, now that I do know, this'll be awesome! We'll be a great team together. You handle the surprise attacks and I'll handle the head-on shots. We'll be unstoppable!"

"Hee, hee… yeah, you're right!"

"Damn, Karthaji." Johnnie muttered from the back seat. "Why you ain't tell me some of your family were samurais?"

"I wanted you to figure it out for yourself." Karthaji replied with honesty. "Since that's the case now, Tommy… you and Ibuki have been dating for over two weeks now. Haven't you two… uh… thought about… having children?"

"Here we go again." Ibuki muttered with annoyance. Tommy just showed an anime sweatdrop behind his head as he spoke.

"Ma… let's… let's-not-talk-about-it-right-now." Tommy muttered with nervousness, maintaining his focus on the road. Johnnie chuckled with a sly smile.

"What's da matta, son?" He teased. "Can't handle carin' for a kid?"

"Dad, not now."

"Why not?" Zazari asked. "This makes an excellent conversation. What would you plan to have?"

"Mom!" Ibuki nearly screamed as she turned her head towards the two sets of parents squished in the back seat. "Don't make me go ninja mode on you! Tommy just told me he had a dream about me carrying a baby and I just can't imagine that happening for real, okay?"

"But, just answer the questions, sweetheart."

"Ugh."

"Ibuki-baby…" Tommy started as he just got to a stoplight. "…let's just answer some questions and see what happens, a'ight? They'll probably never mention it again until everythang's taken care of."

"Ohhhhh… okay, fine. Ask away, mighty parents."

"Okay." Zazari replied. "I'll ask my question again. What gender of the baby would you plan to have?"

"A BOY!" Tommy immediately replied without hesitation, making Ibuki stare at him with a sly smile and a raised eyebrow. "What? Ain't dat what every man wants their first child to be?"

"Uh, huh. I'd say a boy, too, though." Ibuki replied reluctantly, making Tommy widen his eyes with shock as he continued to drive.

"What? Really?"

"Yeah. I'd hate to raise a baby girl." Zazari and Dyvokhan looked at her with strict looks on their faces, making Ibuki nervous. "Uh… not that there's anything wrong… with that… heh, heh."

"Raising you was hard enough." Dyvokhan came in. "We barely had the time."

"I know, but that's you. Alright? Tommy said he saw me carry a baby boy in my arms in his dream, so that's what we're gonna stick with."

"Fine."

"Do ya'll think ya'll might have… ya know… mo' dan one baby at one time?" Johnnie asked.

"Yikes." Ibuki and Tommy muttered together.

"Well," Ibuki came in just seconds after. "As rough as we are in bed, we're bound to get at least triplets."

"Yeech! Well, it beats da hell outta raising eight babies, dat's fo' sho'!" Johnnie muttered. That sent the entire car laughing their heads off hysterically as the car ride continued smoothly.

Thirty minutes later, right before they reached the city limits of Nagasaki…

"Dis is da fourteenth time already!" Johnnie complained as they were parked at a fast food resturant. "Does Ibuki have bladder problems or what?"

"Apparently, she's nervous about meeting Uncle G." Dyvokhan stated professionally. "She's got the same nervous behavior like I used to have back when I was in high school. Whenever I had to perform on stage or in front of any crowd, I always urinated on myself beforehand, making me look even more like an idiot."

"Awww, don't let it get you down, honey." Zazari soothed. "Seeing Ibuki with this same problem is actually a good thing. It shows Tommy so many sides of her. Isn't that right?"

"It already has." Tommy agreed. Ibuki just hopped back in the passenger seat right after that was said with a smile. "Feel better, baby?"

"For the fourteenth time, yes!" Ibuki complained as she buckled herself in and Tommy carefully exited the parking lot and continued on their way towards Uncle G. "Why am I constantly taking a piss all of a sudden?"

"Are you nervous about meeting Uncle G?" Karthaji asked Ibuki, who widened her brown eyes in realization.

"Yeah, I am. Fuckin' nervousness!"

"Ibuki!" Dyvokhan exclaimed. Ibuki quickly covered her mouth with fear.

"Sorry, Daddy. Sorry! I… I'm sorry…"

"Smooth." Tommy muttered with humor.

"Shut up!"

"What? Apparently, your Dad is strict, just like I thought."

"Hush, Tommy. Why can't your dad be just as serious?"

"Because I ain't no strict Daddy." Johnnie replied. "I take everythang and add humor to it. Dat's how I roll."

"Figures."

"We will be arriving to Uncle G's domain in ten minutes." Tommy's GPS said in a female voice. Karthaji cheered in the inside as she remained calm on the outside, grabbing Tommy's seat as she spoke.

"Yes! We're almost there." Karthaji started. "Dyvokhan, Zazari… you two know what to do."

"I'm on it." Zazari replied as she pulled out her walkie talkie and same for Dyvokhan, ready for his turn to speak. "Police HQ, this is Zazari Totanuki reporting. What's the report on Uncle G?"

"He's still holding himself hostage inside an abandoned hotel." The officer replied over the speaker. "He keeps saying he won't leave until he meets Karthaji Jones. Do you have her as of this moment?"

"Yes, sir. Her son is driving all of us at that very location now. I also have my husband, Karthaji's husband, and my long lost daughter with me as well."

"Excellent. We'll need all of the family support we can get. By the way, what's your daughter's name?"

"When she was found by the Geki, Master Enjo named her Ibuki. She's a professional ninja now and I couldn't be any more proud of her." Zazari winked at Ibuki as she said this and this made her cry with happiness.

"Thanks, Mom." The young kunoichi replied, wiping her tears.

"That's wonderful to hear, Zazari!" The officer commented. "Congratulations on finding your daughter. Now, where are you?"

"We're about 5 miles away from your current position. Please standby until we arrive."

"Roger that! 10-4!"

"10-4! The police is already holding Uncle G in. He _does_ know we're coming."

"That's exactly where I want him." Karthaji replied. "When we do get there, I need you and Dyvokhan to remain with the police. Keep their position in check while my family and Ibuki deals with Uncle G ourselves."

"Got it! Just to warn you. He has been extremely reckless lately since he discovered his accusations were discovered. He's been killing practically everyone who knew about the crime, including three innocent children and he has a huge assortment of weapons he could choose from to eradicate you all with. Please do be careful and use what you can, Tommy and Ibuki… especially you, Ibuki. Prove to your parents that you truly are a ninja master."

"I promise you won't be disappointed, Mom and Dad." Ibuki replied as she hugged them both after arriving at the hotel. "They say the proof is in the pudding and I'm Tommy's delicious Japanese vanilla stick of it. Let's go!" After that was said, she got out the car in her ninja dogi with a confident smile, waiting for Karthaji, Johnnie, and Tommy to join her. Johnnie chuckled at that statement while Karthaji shook her head with humor at the same time as his chuckling while she stepped out of the car. Tommy blushed a deep red before he slowly stepped out, allowing Dyvokhan to gently pat him on the arm.

"You keep treating her like a princess, Tommy… and I'll be sure to make sure she treats you like a prince." Dyvokhan commented with a wink and a smile.

"I'll… uh… keep that in mind, Mr. Totanuki. Thanks." Tommy replied before he joined his parents and girlfriend. "A'ight, baby. Ya'll ready?"

"Let me go in first." Karthaji commanded softly before she bravely led her family and Ibuki inside, ready for anything that might happen.

Ten minutes later…

Karthaji and the others finally made it to the fourth floor where Uncle G was holding himself in and saw the true culprit before her for the very first time. He did indeed have the same exact facial likeness as Sasha, but had the muscular built similar to Tommy, which was pretty huge for his height of only four feet and four inches, making him look chunky in a cute way. His appearance nearly made the ladies laugh, but they both held it in as Karthaji kept her family back while she did the talking. Uncle G was belted to his chair by his wrists as he looked up at her for the first time.

"You must be Gerald 'Uncle G' Marshall." Karthaji started professionally, making her deep motherly voice sound even deeper. "How have you been?"

"In Hell, thanks to you." Gerald replied in a surprisingly high pitched male voice with a Southern accent. "How da hell have you been, gorgeous?"

"Good… except you made me get arrested for a crime I would never, EVER… consider committing… being an animal lover, you see."

"Ah, no wonda dey made such a big deal ova it. So what's a pretty thang like you doin' in a mothafuckin' dump like dis? Came ta toin my dumb ass in?"

"Well, that's one part of the visit, yes." Karthaji casually took a seat as she continued, facing directly at her true culprit. "The other part is that I wanted you to meet my family." At the last word in that statement, Tommy and Johnnie took four steps forward, leaving Ibuki behind, who remained strict and kept her guard up, just in case. "This is my husband, Johnnie, on my left and my son and only child, Tommy, on my right."

"Dayum!" Gerald took a good look at Tommy. He had to look straight up at him as he continued. "Fo' yo' son, he sho' is tall! How big was dis baby when he was born, eh?"

"A good fifteen pounds and seven ounces."

"Whoa…" Ibuki muttered softly enough, so nobody would hear. "Big boy."

"Wow!" Gerald exclaimed. "Well, at dis rate, I kinda feel bad 'bout all dis shit. You only got one child and I almost took ya life away from 'im. I'm kinda an orphan myself. I ain't gots no parents ta raise me and I pretty much made a livin' catching live animals for deir fur and sell 'em fo' money."

"No wonder you're trying to avoid the arrest. You're illegally making money and getting away with it." Karthaji replied. "I've made a pretty fair living myself before you ruined it. My son and husband runs an animal store called 'Animals of Happiness' in Downtown Tokyo and they're already making better progress than you are. They're only keeping it alive just so they can afford a lawyer, but if you just easily turn yourself in, we won't have to spend our hard-earned money and you can be at peace."

"Be at peace? Yeah, right! I've hoid rumors about a serial rapist in yo' parts of town. Is he in da same prison as you were?"

"Yes. His name is Govi Tavo. He has raped many women, including her." At the last word, Ibuki stepped up next to Tommy and held his huge arm close to her, taking her half-mask off on the way. "I suppose you already know who this is."

"Ibuki?"

"Yeah." Ibuki replied. "It's me… on the scene."

"Yep, it's her a'ight. So, Govi raped ya, huh?"

"Yeah. I don't wanna get into much details about the act he committed, but let's just say that they were the worst five minutes of my life."

"Yikes."

"Now, do you see what chaos we've been through before we finally found you?" Karthaji asked in a serious tone. "My son has spend endless days trying to find the true culprit and you are to blame for his fatigue."

"And you is right, babe. I apologize, son. You have one hot girlfriend. I'm actually glad ya killed my niece."

"You are?" Tommy asked with surprise. "Why?"

"Well… not only was she a pain in da ass towards you, but she was a pain towards da rest of da family, especially her own parents." Gerald paused as he turned his head and looked out the only one window showing the many police cars and flashing lights, specifically staring at Dyvokhan with Sasha's pistols. He snorted at the image before he spoke, not taking his eyes away from the window. "Humph! Interesting. All dem cops out dere, ready ta take me in. Interestin' people down there wit 'em, though. Are dey yo' parents, Ibuki?"

"My real parents, yeah." Ibuki replied.

"Huh! Dey must've stayed in Sasha's hotel 'cause I see her pistols strapped ta ya fadda's waist. Dose guns he's got… dey da exact same guns she used to 'teach her parents a lesson 'bout respect'… if ya catch my drift."

"What?" The family and Ibuki exclaimed together.

"Yep. Sasha's hate was created by her parents just as well as herself. Da goil had problems and we begged 'er so many times ta get professional help, but she neva listened ta us. She was accused of killin' her twenty-seventh boyfriend by her parents and, in order ta keep it a secret, she killed both of parents, leaving her by herself fo' da rest of her pitiful life. She neva wanted ta get caught for her actions and so won't I."

"You can't copy your evil niece's actions like that!" Karthaji warned. "What she did was unintentional, but you must follow your own path if you want to make something right." Gerald finally turned his head back to the group of four before him with a look of guilt.

"I guess you couldn't be mo' right, sista. I bet she was savin' dem guns ta kill ya, Ibuki."

"Yeah." Ibuki agreed. "At first, I thought she was going to use them to kill Tommy."

"Well, dat could've been da case, if ya didn't get inta Tommy's heart, but since ya did… and since you only gots one child… and it happens ta be a very sensitive young man who has a heart 'o gold… I ain't gonna put up a fight. I give."

"You… do?" Karthaji asked with astonishment. "Well, this is a surprise."

"I may have been reckless, but Govi is all I want ya'll ta fight now. You beat 'im and I'll toin myself in ta da cops."

"What do we get in return for your surrender?"

"What ya got dat's on a tragedy scale?"

"Well, Govi shot Don-chan three times in the abdomen." Ibuki replied. "You do know who Don-chan is, right?"

"Ya cute lil' pet tanuki? Yeah, I know… and whoa! Ya serious?"

"Yeah, but he didn't shoot him head-on. Don… sacrificed himself to save me. I was supposted to be shot."

"Well, goddayum! Bless dat tanuki's heart, Lord have mercy! Ya gots a charity or somethin'?"

"Yeah. It's called 'TanukIbuki Haven'. I need to raise up 600,000 dollars for the surgery in order to remove the bullets lodged in his body and I'm at 550,000 dollars right now."

"Well, here's da big deal. Ya'll kick Govi's ass and I'll toin myself in. Once dat's done, I'll order my former employees to donate the remaining funds of my fur sales ta yo' charity."

"Which is how much?"

"Naw, naw, I can't tell youse! You'll fall to da flo'."

"No, you can tell me. I'll stand still. I promise."

"A'ight. Seven-hundred million dollars… in cold… hard… cash."

"…"

_**PLOP!**_

"Yep, I knew she would faint." Gerald commented as he saw Ibuki collaspe to the soft carpet floor like a ragdoll that's just been dropped from a distance. Johnnie nearly fell over as well, but Karthaji's quick reflexes held her husband's hand as Gerald continued. "Dat is really all dat's left. Surprised?"

"Very." Karthaji replied. "Are you really willing to donate that much money once you've turned yourself in?"

"I can't do much wit da money once I get in da prison anyhow! Either way, it's gotta go somewhere and Ibuki's lil' charity is good enough fo' me."

"I guess you're not as reckless as people say you are after all."

"Nyah! People only say I'm reckless 'cause I only killed four people, includin' three children. Maybe dat's da problem… me killin' da kids."

"Exactly. Well, after hearing that large number, I'd say you are very generous… and gentle."

"It's all thanks ta ya'll. I'm at peace, now dat yo' son killed my devilish niece. As long as I don't see her face, hear her voice, or know she's alive, I'll remain at peace… and since dat's da case, I just wanna say dat I'm sorry fo' everythang I've done ta yo' family. I hope ya'll can forgive me."

"Shoo, at dis point, I'd say we forgive ya!" Johnnie replied with a smile. Karthaji nodded in agreement as she stood up and unhooked the belts from the chair Uncle G was sitting in, but he still didn't get up.

"We all forgive you, Gerald." She added as she threw the second and final belt on the floor. "You're not going to get up?"

"Not until ya'll kicked Govi's ass. I want Ibuki ta kill him alone." He replied. Hearing that second statement made Ibuki slowly regain consciousness as she looked at him from where she sat.

"What-you-talkin'-'bout-G?" Ibuki asked with partial humor, making Johnnie, Tommy, and Karthaji chuckle.

"I'm sayin' Govi's yo' enemy, right? Did ya fight 'im befo'?"

"Yeah, and I paralyzed his ass."

"Well, kick his ass again… and dis time, send 'im ta Hell wit my niece, so he can see what a mothafuckin' punk he's been all his life."

"Now that's what I'm talkin' about, baby! I'll fight him to kill him! This is the perfect revenge for Don."

"Dere ya go! Now ya speakin' _my _language, cutie! Now, Karthaji, you go down dere wit ya family and tell all dem Po-po's dat I ain't comin' down 'til Ibuki kills Govi. Dey'll undastand."

"I hope so… for your sake." Karthaji replied before she faced her family. "Ibuki, you go ahead and head back to Tokyo on your own. Tommy will lead us back. We'll be right behind you."

"Okay." Ibuki made her cutest smile in her life before she approached Uncle G and gave him a loving embrace for about twenty seconds before ending it with a soft kiss on his forehead, making him blush as he smiled back. "Thank you so much for your generous donation, Gerald. I'll be sure we can repay you for it someday."

"Naw, no payments are necessary." Gerald replied. "Just go get 'im and kick him in his balls and dick fo' me… so he won't rape no mo' women."

"Oh, I'll be sure he'll never be able to fuck around… and piss again. Sayonara!" After that, Ibuki slipped on her half mask before she walked over to the open window and made a salutations hand gesture to the crowd of police officers and her parents down below before she professionally leaped from building to building in breakneck speed back to Tokyo to deal with Govi one… last… time.

Justice was served at its best and now, it was about to be served with an extra helping of some blood, guts… and a miracle unlike any other.

To be continued…


	18. The Ultimate Battle

Chapter 18: The Ultimate Battle

This… was it. Ibuki's final time to settle the score with Govi and end his violent terror once and for all. As she was gracefully making leaps, flips, and somersaults back to Tokyo, flashes of her nightmare where she was raped by Govi flooded in her mind. Her fear was unleashed like a monster until her Father saved her from permament destruction in her soul. Now, the fear beast was settled and she wasn't afraid of Govi anymore. She was now determined to kill who gave her the misery of rejection and on top of her defeat, Don was to be healed. That's all that mattered to her at this point. Her main focus was on Don-chan, but her secondary focus was on Govi. Killing him was the only pass to Don's life restoration and Ibuki Totanuki will succeed in order to receive this life-changing pass.

As for Govi…

He sat in his chamber, chuckling to himself. He just overheard some guards saying that Ibuki was on her way back to him for her final battle. His evil smile added more to his greed of finally getting his hands on Ibuki's body one more time. After about three quiet minutes, Sheriff Kenvys entered the door with his chain full of various keys and spoke in his strict tone as he worked on freeing Govi.

"I'm guessing you overheard my guards." He started, keeping his focus on his handiwork. Govi continued to stare at the open door with vengance. "Well, we're only releasing you, so you can battle against Ibuki. You do know she's determined to beat you, right?"

"Eh, like I care." Govi protested. "I'll get 'er befo' she even gets a chance ta attack."

"I wouldn't count on it. She's gained so much and even her charity is keeping hopes up that she'll win and Don will be healed."

"Fuckin' tanuki! He just had ta get in da way!"

"It's called love, Govi… something an extremely violent serial rapist would never understand."

"Keep blabbin', Chief! I'll put a bullet in ya head, if ya keep dat up."

"You can't do that, Govi. We've confiscated your weapons just in time for this battle. You are to fight Ibuki with your bare hands."

"What? What does she fight wit?"

"Her impressive ninja skills, minus her weapons."

"Humph! She betta not have her weapons! Dat's cheatin'!"

"Ibuki never cheats."

Meanwhile, with Ibuki…

She just landed on the top of a vertical flagpole, standing perfectly still with her arms crossed, having a serious look on her adorable face. She stood like a statue as the comfortable breeze blew her long ponytail and bangs in a beautiful swaying style, looking right at the path to the prison before her. She patiently waited for Govi to come out. As she was waiting, she closed her eyes in deep thought again, thinking about that fateful night when she first met the man. She couldn't believe how dreadful the experience was for her and how she was able to overcome her fear. Then, she meets Tommy and everything changed. Hearing about his struggle was giving her a revelation that anything can be possible if you just believe that you can do it. So many failed dates… so much suffering… and so much torchure from all that harsh ninja training… made her believe otherwise all this time. Now, she's letting those doubts escape her mind and allow common sense to jump in and guide her to her true destiny. Ibuki did know one thing that will happen within this battle: Once she's defeated Govi, not only will she let out the world's biggest sigh of relief, but she will perform something she's has never had the heart to do to anyone since her ninja training started at her age of two. She smiled at the thought of that memory where she spoke to Enjo in her baby tones that she will "never cut nobody, even if they were really mean'. Enjo knew what she meant by "cut" and chuckled at the promise, knowing that she'll outgrow that promise as she gets older. Now that she's an adult, that promise flew out the window like a caged bird that's been imprisioned for years, begging for freedom. Now that she's a fully trained ninja at this point, she can pretty much do whatever she wants with those skills. For now… and for this battle only, she promises to keep it as clean as possible until she's certain that Govi was close to defeat.

Down below Ibuki, on the right side of the street…

Tommy just parked his car next to a random building and stepped out of the driver's side, looking up at a strong and determined Ibuki standing perfectly still on top of the flagpole. He smiled at how brave she's become since he met her. At first, when he started talking about Govi in front of her, her fear always made her sick to her stomach, thanks to Fate. But now, all of that had faded away and her future lies in her hands. Karthaji and Johnnie stepped out next and they were just as proud of Ibuki as their only son was. Just seeing her standing on top of that flagpole like that was enough to convince them that she was ready to end this madness forever. They never said a word as they just watched her stand there with the comfortable breeze swaying her beautiful long ponytail like a cape, ready to be a hero. Dyvokhan and Zazari stepped out of the car just seconds after Tommy's parents and they were impressed to see their daughter stand so perfectly still on something like a flagpole and not lose no sense of balance whatsoever. That was a sign that Ibuki has indeed been sucked into the art of the ninja and they didn't care at this point. All that mattered to them was that their daughter was okay and protecting herself in such a cool way was an added bonus.

As for Govi…

He was finally released from his chained prison, but was handcuffed for safety as Sheriff Kenvys escorted him towards the exit. As the two were walking down the hallway, all of the inmates were completely silent. On the inside, they cheered for Ibuki, but on the outside, they just completely kept it to themselves. Sheriff Kenvys pulled out his walkie talkie at halfway down the hall and contacted the news team.

"Tokyo News 5, this is Sheriff Kenvys. What's your status on setting up this international airing of the battle?" He started in the speaker.

Outside the prison…

"We're just about set, sir." One cameraman replied as he just set up the last of the cameras. "We've got about fifteen cameras ready to roll and our reporters, Valina Kayvos and Jerome Caxter, are ready to report. What's your status?"

Back inside the prison…

"I've got Govi unarmed and handcuffed and we're heading out now. Where's Ibuki? Is she here?"

Back outside…

"Uh…" The cameraman looked around for her and was about to say no, but his mouth was held open as he just spotted Ibuki in the distance, standing still on a flagpole, patiently waiting for Govi to come out. He smiled as he spoke. "…yes, sir. Ibuki's here and she's ready."

Back inside…

"Excellent. Make sure she stands by until we've exited the prison. 10-4!"

"10-4!" The cameraman said on the other speaker before he clicked off. Kenvys chuckled.

"Well, Govi," He started. "She's ready for you. Make this battle your execution, if you lose. We have faith in her and you will die, Govi!"

"You'll be eatin' dose woids, mac!" Govi protested as he was freed from the handcuffs. "I'm gonna be fair and wait for 'er. Once we're done talkin', it's on!"

"Good. Go to Hell, then."

"Grrrrr!" Govi growled as he headed outside. This was the news team's cue to start reporting now.

"Hello, world!" Valina started. "This is Valina Kayvos, reporting live from the streets of Downtown Tokyo, where Ibuki is about to attempt the most dangerous feat… we have ever seen…"

At the Street Fighter HQ…

"GUYS! IT'S STARTING!" Yun yelled as he and Yang just got in the living room with various snacks. All of the rest of the Street Fighters just arrived in the same room, having Sakura sit closest to the TV as the report continued.

"That's right, Valina." Jerome started in a handsome male voice. "And I'm Jerome Caxter, ready to report on this dangerous fight. Valina, I've heard that Ibuki and Govi have been enemies for years."

"That's right, Jerome." Valina agreed. "During Ibuki's freshman year in Sarusuberi University, Govi broke into the campus and violently raped her for approximately five minutes, leaving her virginity broken and bloody with horror within her eyes. Now she's gain the strength to fight the very man that gave her that fear and shoot it right back at him."

"YEAH!" Sean cheered. "You go, girl!"

Back in the streets…

"That's what I call turning tables!" Jerome added, then paused for a second to see Govi just exiting the prison gates alone with no weapons. "Govi has just exited the building…" He paused as he looked over at the flagpole, where Ibuki was, and saw that she was gone, but she just landed in front of the two reporters right in the middle of the locked-down street, facing Govi with the same determination. "…and Ibuki has just taken her position. I have a feeling that this battle could be bloody, Valina…" Ibuki smoke bombed back into her famous casual outfit of her white tank top and blue jeans and this shocked all who watched. "…or maybe not."

"According to the police, they want this battle to be a fist fight only… until the end that is." Valina proposed. "And Ibuki, being an honest person, would never cheat her way out of this. Hopefully, Govi won't. Let's watch."

"Well, well, well…" Govi started as he crossed his strong arms with a smug smile. "We meet again… even after I was supposed ta kill ya."

"Eh, Don knows me too well to realize that I'm too young to die." Ibuki spat back with just as smug of a smile, making her look cute and sexy all at once. "I'll never forget what you've done to me in the past, I know, but this fight will show you how pissed I truly was that night."

"Yeah, you were helpless dat night. It felt good ta me, babe. So, what are the stakes?"

"If I win, you will die by my kunai and Don will be healed."

"And if I win…?"

"…You can do whatever you want with me."

"Awesome! You're on! Are ya unarmed fo' now?"

"As I promised, yeah. My parents have my weapons in Tommy's car."

"Aahhh, ha, haa! Ya found ya parents, huh?"

"Yeah. Where are your-ohhhhhhh, that's right. You said that your brothers were your only source of family left. I still pity you for it."

"Bitch. Let's put up and shut up!" Govi got in his kickboxing fighting stance. Ibuki got in her famous fighting stance, ready for anything. "Your cute ass is mine!"

"Not if I can keep you from it!"

At the Street Fighter HQ…

"Ohhhhhhh!" All of the boys jeered, except Ryu, Gill, Q, Twelve, Akuma, Gouken, T. Hawk, Guy, Dhalsim, Urien, Gen, Vega, Guile, M. Bison, Seth, Dudley, and Yang. Ryu just chuckled with Gouken as the rest of them remained silent.

"Well, Ibuki is young." Gouken commented with a smile. Ryu nodded in agreement.

"Govi did more damage to her attitude than her virginity." He added.

"Yeah, Ibuki!" Birdie cheered. "You kick that bastard's ass, girl!"

Back in the streets…

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Govi screamed at his loudest as he dashed for Ibuki for a good punch in the face, but Ibuki's ninja senses commanded her to block it just centimeters away from impact and she counterattacked by grabbing that same wrist, gracefully flipping herself up, and used one foot to give him a good kick on his back as well as a good hop off of him and she landed back on her feet just as beautifully.

"Tee, hee. Ya still got a ways to go, Govi." She playfully chanted as she turned towards him with a cute smile. Govi sat up quickly before he flipped himself up to his feet and growled. "What's the matter? Can't stand getting your ass kicked by a girl?"

"Don't make me lose my patience!" Govi taunted as he tried for another set of punches, but again, Ibuki forsaw his moves and was blocking every one of them. After about ten more punches, Ibuki finally counterattacked by grabbing his left wrist at the last punch and held him before she blasted him with a small light Yoroitoshi towards the concrete, nearly making him break his back on his landing, but he miraculously sprung back up to his feet immediately after the landing and tried to regain his senses, but Ibuki was too fast for him and she stomped on his face twice with her famous Hien and gracefully landed back on her feet after two backflips. "DAMN IT! You're a lot faster than I thought!"

"That's what you get for messin' with Ibuki-chan! You haven't attacked me yet. Aren't you gonna hit me? C'mon, Govi. Hit me."

"Humph!" Govi shook the dizzyness off before he tried to sneak a low kick, but Ibuki just made a beautiful backflip and completely avoided the attack. This frustrated the serial rapist. "I thought ya wanted me ta hit ya! Quit cheatin'!"

"I ain't cheatin'. I'm just too fast and you're too slow! Now, hit me!"

"…" Govi kept quiet as he tried so hard to hit Ibuki, but she never failed to forsee every attack and she blocked every one. She couldn't help but keep her cute smile on her face, even though it was a serious fight. She couldn't believe what she was doing. Her impressive skills along with Fate giving her the strength really did make her seem like she a master of the art of the ninja… especially since she's been teasing Govi on the side, taunting him into hitting her like the adorable Valley Girl that she was.

Over at Tommy's car…

Tommy just sat on the roof of the vehicle in a cool, calm, and collected manner next to Dyvokhan, who sat nearly the same way with a calm smile. Johnnie tried to join the two on the roof, but he ended up sitting on the hood of the car instead. Karthaji and Zazari were sitting on some spare folding chairs they just happened to aquire from a bystander in front of the car and Zazari was impressed to see a pretty huge crowd form around the fight on the sidewalks, as if they were preparing for a parade. She was about to ask why this battle was gaining so much attention, but Karthaji spoke as if she heard her thoughts.

"Everyone in this city wants Govi dead as much as Ibuki does." She replied in her usual expert tone of a good Mother. Zazari nodded in understanding as she remained quiet for the remainder of the fight.

As for the men on top of the car…

"Damn." Dyvokhan muttered. "Enjo trained her well after all. I never knew she was so good at this."

"She's an official Master now. She doesn't know this yet." Tommy replied.

"What? She's a master now?"

"On our way back, at a stoplight, Bobby, my best friend, sent me a text message that one of Ibuki's ninja trainers in her ninjitsu club was so impressed with how quickly she gained new skills every week since her freshman year and decided to promote her the highest rank she can get: Grandmaster."

"WHAAAAA?" Johnnie and Dyvokhan exclaimed simultaneously by accident.

"Once she hears 'bout this, she'll cry the happiest tears I've ever seen since I've met her."

"Holy shit, man." Johnnie muttered. "What an accomlishment she made."

"She even taught her instructors something they've never heard or seen before."

"Oh?" Dyvokhan asked. "What was it?"

"You'll find out. She'll probably do it. She made us place all of her kunai in the glove compartment for a reason. She actually lied about having Govi die by her kunai earlier… and he has no idea what's coming to him."

"Uh, oh… well, I'm sure it'll be impressive."

Back in the fight…

"Damn… it all… ta Hell…" Govi managed to say between heavy breaths. He was kneeled down with extreme fatigue as Ibuki just aimlessly looked around her surroundings with a look of boredom on her face. "Why… do ya… have ta be… so fuckin'… difficult?"

"Who said I was being difficult?" Ibuki asked with sarcasm. "I simply told you to hit me and you still haven't touched me yet. You're… not as fast as you used to be."

"Oh, shut da fuck up, bitch!" Govi tried to dash towards her for a tackle, but again, Ibuki avoided the attack by gracefully making a backflip at just a centimeter away from impact and made him land face first on the concrete while she just landed on her feet perfectly. "DAMN IT! Keep yo' cute ass still, so I can hit ya!"

"Try harder and you'll touch me."

"Grrrr!" Govi tried once more by trying to land an extremely hard blow to her face. She blocked it once again just as fast, but she didn't see his other hand sneaking an even stronger punch to her stomach and it made her scream with extreme pain as well as make the audience of bystanders gasp with shock to see that Govi had finally hit Ibuki since the fight started. "HA! Didn't see that coming, did ya, cutie bitch? Taste this!" Govi made his next attack to her face, giving her a bloody mouth and leaving her dazed, completely wide open for his next attack. "And THIS!" He made an even stronger kick to her chest, nearly knocking the wind out of her. "AND EVEN THIS!" He then made an uppercut, sending her limp and weak body in the air. While she was still airborne at a good ten feet, this gave Govi his chance to perform what he calls: 'The Insane Tornado of the Sky'. What he did to Ibuki in mid-air was just too shocking to the audience. He did a series of various punches and kicks to every inch of her body, including one kick to her ass directly! For his final blow, he grabbed her ponytail, swung her around like a ragdoll for about twenty seconds, making her a helicopter for a while, and vigoriously slammed her towards the street face first, knocking her out. This made the audience boo at him with anger as Govi just stood there with confidence, looking down at an injured Ibuki, who was kneeled down and holding her stomach in pain. "Heh, heh, heh, heh! I laugh at your misery! You didn't see none of that comin', did ya? Taaa, ha, ha, ha, haa!"

"Ugh!" Ibuki groaned as she stuggled to get to her feet. "Motherfucker! How in the hell did you get so strong?"

"Ain't it obvious? Da gym in dat prison kinda gave me a boost. I'm impressed at you, though. You blocked most of dose attacks that da odder inmates couldn't block."

"You mean… ouch!... you've been fighting the other inmates?"

"Yep… and if ya concerned about Tommy's modda, I neva laid a finga on 'er."

"Good. Oof!" Ibuki never noticed that Govi was behind her and she got elbowed in the back hard, knocking her back to the street again face first. Too fatigued to get up again, Ibuki just laid there, breathing heavily while Govi just slowly circled around her and examined her body. "Damn you…"

"Awww, don't get so angry, sweetie pie." Govi continued as he kneeled down in front of her head, grabbed her by the three stands of hair in front, and just held her to his face. "Ya fought well, but now, it's finally my time ta shine. Heh, heh, heh…"

"Over my dead sexy BODY!" Ibuki finally regained her strength and unexpectedly gave the serial rapist a good punch in the eye, making him scream and hold it in pain while the young kunoichi flipped up to her feet and performed her Yoroitoshi ultra combo, blasting him towards an abandoned building. After the impact, the entire building collasped on top of him and she sighed with relief, standing up straight for about ten seconds before she slowly started to fall backwards towards the street once more, but Tommy's quick football player speed caught her before her ponytail even touched the ground. She smiled as she looked up at him, making him smile in return. "Tommy…I… I did it."

"I know you did, baby girl." Tommy agreed. "And I couldn't be any more proud of you for dat. You fought hard, girl."

"Just like with Sasha, right?"

"Heh, heh… yeah. What happened befo' dat though?"

"I think Govi was about to rape me again… at least, that's what my senses were telling me."

"Good thing you stopped him. C'mon, baby. I think this shit's cleaned up here." Tommy slowly helped Ibuki to her feet and he escorted her back to his car, but before they could even touch the car…

"I AIN'T THROUGH WIT YA CUTE ASS YET, BITCH!" Govi yelled as he somehow dug himself out of the rubble of bricks and dirt. Tommy and Ibuki stopped in their tracks with a look of nervousness and determination respectively. Ibuki regained her strength once more as she slowly released herself from her boyfriend's grip and about-faced towards her enemy before she slowly walked closer to him as he continued. "YA THINK YA SOOOOO COCKY, HUH?"

"I'm surprised you survived." Ibuki said with sarcasm. "But, since that's the case, I'm not through with you either. You still wanna come at me? Come and get me. I'll stand still this time. I promise."

"IBUKI, NO!" Karthaji yelled out, but she saw the look on her son's face that said Ibuki's got this. She had confidence in her son then and she had the same confidence now as she calmed down and watched the conclusion.

"Heh, heh… now dat's more like it… and ya betta keep still, too!" Govi exclaimed as he ran up to her. Ibuki stood perfectly still, like she promised, but a small breeze was flowing by… and it wasn't caused by the Earth. Everyone around the fight scene started feeling a sudden chill around them and they all shivered, except Ibuki and Govi, who was still running towards the young ninja. After he got about halfway towards her, Ibuki closed her eyes, but still didn't move as the breeze got stronger. Johnnie had to be the first to complain about the breeze.

"Wh-wh-wh-what d-d-d-d-da h-h-h-h-hell…?" He studdered. "Wh-wh-where d-d-d-did dis br-br-br-breeze come from?"

"Ibuki's new power." Tommy replied, keeping his strong arms crossed, which kept him warm. "She's about to unleash it."

"Hmmm… looks like it could be extremely powerful." Dyvokhan commented.

Back in the fight…

Govi was only two feet away when the breeze reached its highest capacity and a small growl was heard from Ibuki. He screeched to a stop until he was so close to her that their noses nearly touched. He just froze with horrified wide eyes and after three more seconds, Ibuki's eyes popped open and she saw that her brown eyes looked a lot like a lizard's and he was about to back away, but Ibuki grabbed him by his crotch in less than a second and just held him there with a seductive smile on her face.

"Let me tell you something, Govi…" Ibuki started in a deepened tone of her cute voice. "…you know the past can't be altered by the present and so do I, but when it comes to what you've done to me, I just can't help but say that you've done too much for one man. Since you have the good qualities of a man down there, allow me to permanently disable your magic stick." After she said this, a sickening _**CRUNCH! **_was heard and Govi tried so hard to scream, but couldn't. Ibuki smiled with evil in her heart, which was a first for her, but it felt so damn good to her to finally show her anger towards the man that gave her endless horror.

Meanwhile, at the Street Fighter HQ…

"Yikes." Ken muttered. "What's up with Ibuki?"

"She's gained a new power?" Gouken asked with shock. "What could it possibly be?"

"Looks like it'll hurt… bad." Sakura shuttered.

"Man, I'm at the edge of my seat at this point!" Sean exclaimed. "C'mon! Let's go!"

Back at the fight…

Ibuki's parents, Tommy's parents, and Tommy watched the scene before them with high anticipation as Ibuki just stood there, holding Govi's crushed crotch in one hand. As for Govi, he started feeling weak and was about to collaspe, but Ibuki held him up with her free hand by the collar of his shirt, held him as close to her face as she can, and whispered:

"Go to motherfuckin' Hell!"

After that was said, Govi felt a sharp pain go up his crotch and into his back, eventually spreading all over his body as he screamed with extreme pain for the next minute before Ibuki relased his crotch, took a good five steps back, slowly positioned herself for a dash, and after five minutes to staring at his screaming body, she screamed at her loudest with bravery… and a small hint of a dragon's roar… before she unexpectedly dashed for him at breakneck speed and it seemed like she went right through him with her bare hands! Govi felt her sharp touch, froze for about thirty seconds, and then Govi screamed out:

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" _**KABOOOOM!**_

Ibuki kept her position in her finished stance as she heard Govi explode into nothing but blood, guts, and his torn clothes. Ibuki closed her eyes with a small smile as she sighed once more and took in the cheers of victory all over the streets, including from her family and Tommy's family.

Over at the Street Fighter HQ…

Everyone was cheering for Ibuki's victory, except Sakura, who remained shocked and speechless, making sure that what she just saw Ibuki do… really happened and it wasn't special effects. Ryu saw her dazed look and approached her with a calm smile, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Ibuki did it, Sakura." He told her softly, despite the loud cheers. "She really did it."

"…whoa." Was all Sakura had to say.

Back in the streets…

Tommy kept the happiest smile he's ever done in his life as he ran for Ibuki and playfully grabbed her from her sides under her arms, making her giggle before Tommy pulled her close to him for a hug, making Ibuki's feet dangle.

"YES!" Tommy cheered as he held her close like a delecate stuffed animal. She embraced him back in return, resting her head on his shoulder. "YOU DID IT, IBUKI-BABY! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!"

"Finally…" Ibuki sighed in agreement. "…I just… feel bad about not doing this to him sooner." Tommy ended the embrace, but still held her close, keeping her off her feet as he spoke.

"You couldn't do it, baby. Fear took over you and your sixth sense kept tellin' you that you wasn't ready. Same for Darikosho or Fate. Once you finally gathered that strength, you took him on and told those senses to get real!"

"Hee, hee… in your manner of speakin', yeah." Ibuki continued the hug with happy tears staining his shirt. "I'm so glad I came through… but that power I just unleashed… I self-taught it. I call it 'Hashinfury Dragon Strike'."

"Ooooooh, sounds deep, baby. Ain't that forbidden in the Glade?"

"Yeah, but I had to use it. I just hope Enjo or Sanjou doesn't get mad at me for it."

"I'm sure they'll understand." After that was said, the two looked into each other's eyes deeply, feeling some passion between them. They slowly drew closer for a tasty lip-lock, but as soon as they were a millimeter apart…

"Congratulations, Ibuki!" Jerome came in with excitement with his microphone in his right hand. Tommy smiled with respect as he gently placed Ibuki back down on her feet and allowed her to get her television interview. "That battle was, without a doubt, the most intense I've seen to date! What unleashed that unspeakable power you call the 'Hashinfury Dragon Strike'?"

"Well, to simply put it, my extreme anger towards Govi and how humiliated he made me back in my freshman year when I was eighteen." Ibuki replied with honesty, not feeling nervous about the camera at all. "Not only did he make me bleed physically, but emotionally as well."

"Ah, I see. You are a heroine after defeating Govi. He's been a threat to the entire city for years, even before you got enrolled into Sarusuberi."

"I can tell by all of this… happiness… goin' on."

"Yes, indeed. Now that you've defeated Govi, what do you plan to do now?"

"I have a few things to get off my chest…"

Thirty minutes later, back in Nagasaki with Uncle G…

"You have no idea how happy I am ta see dat ya finally kicked dat bastard's ass." Uncle G said to Ibuki as she just gave him a loving hug after he finally stood up from his chair. "Poisonally, I was scared of 'im. I ain't know what I was 'bout come up against wit 'im! I just can't tank ya enough!"

"No problem." Ibuki replied with her oh-so-adorable smile as she ended the embrace. "Just doing what I promised. Did you watch it on TV?"

"Yeah. Dat final blow was awesome! Where'd ya loin dat, girl? DAMN!"

"I… kinda self-taught it to myself by the time I got very well aquainted with my ninja training at my age of thirteen. I practiced every night while everyone was sleep, so nobody would know about it. I know it's forbidden in the Glade, but I still got away with it."

"Huh! Well, dang! Dat's awesome! Well, as I promised, I just called my company and told 'em dat I'm gonna be headin' ta jail for what I've done and dey can give da seven hundred million dollars ta ya charity fo' Don's surgery and den some!"

"That really means a lot receiving all of that money from you. I never knew you were so generous."

"Ya'll don't know me very well, but now dat ya know, ya'll can stop pointin' fingas."

"Are you ready to come downstairs and come clean without facing a judge?" Ibuki gently held the elder's hand as she started escorting him downstairs with her.

"Yeah, I is ready, but on one condition…"

"What is it?"

"Tell Don dat I respect 'im, even though I was violent towards one of his animal friends."

"No prob. I'll be sure to tell him after his surgery."

"Thanks, baby doll. You ain't so bad yaself."

"Yeah. I may be a ninja, but I'm still a sweet, innocent, and ordinary girl all over."

"And proud of it, I bet!"

"You betcha!"

Two minutes later, outside the hotel…

Ibuki and Uncle G just came out of the entrance and approached the crowd of the police, Tommy's parents, her parents, and Tommy before Sheriff Kenvys approached them and gently handcuffed Uncle G while he spoke to Ibuki.

"Once again, Ibuki, you have saved all of Japan from an eerie fate." He started. "Now Uncle G can be where he should be and Karthaji can be free to remain with her family again."

"It was my pleasure." Ibuki bowed down as she said this.

"So, what about your charity? How's Don?"

"Uncle G's gonna donate the rest of his sales to it and Don's doing just fine… in that order."

"How much money is in his remaining sales?"

"Seven-hundred million dollars."

"WHOA! You can donate the remaining 50,000 and keep the rest to yourself!"

"I know. That's what I love about it!"

"Well, what a generous thing you do, Gerald. Now, you can be at peace in prison."

"It'll be good ta be there, now that Govi's gone." Uncle G agreed. "And Karthaji?"

"Yes?" Karthaji replied as she approached the three.

"How do ya feel, now dat you're reunited wit ya family?"

"I feel fantastic, thank you." She gave her aquaintence a loving embrace as she said this. "How will you feel in prison?"

"I'll be fine. Don't ya'll worry 'bout me. Ya'll have a tanuki ta save now." Hearing this made Ibuki smile from ear to ear while Tommy hugged her from behind in agreement with the same loving smile.

The next day…

"Welcome back, Grandmaster Ibuki!" Every student chanted as they saw Ibuki and Tommy just come down the stairs from their dorm room. Hearing them call Ibuki grandmaster made her freeze and do a double take. Tommy chuckled.

"What did they just call me?" Ibuki asked in wonder, looking at the crowd of bowed down students. Bobby and Kendra just arrived from behind them with Snow not too far behind and Snow and Kendra were just as surprised. "Did… they just call me… Grandmaster?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied. Bobby got closer to Ibuki and gave her a pat on the arm.

"Yep!" Bobby replied. "Since your teachers couldn't get to ya during the fight yesterday, they called me and told me that you just got promoted to the very top of the class. You're classified as a professional ninja now and no more training is necessary."

"Whaaa…?" Ibuki couldn't believe her ears as she tried so hard to maintain her balance and keep herself from fainting. "I'm… a ninja master now?"

"Yeah, baby." Tommy replied before he gently gave her a loving kiss on her left cheek from behind. "Now, you can teach others the way of the ninja… that is, if you wanna."

"Ummmmm…"

"IBUKI!" Sarai came in from the distance, making the young ninja master turn towards her old friend with a smile. "I… got here as fast as I could. Don… just got admitted into the surgery… and… they're processing the payment for it right now. They're actually performing the surgery at the Glade's medical wing!"

"Really? That's a shocker!"

"Yeah. They're wondering if… you wanna watch the surgery?"

"… Can I?"

"If you want."

"What do you think?"

"Tee, hee…"

Fifteen minutes later, next to the entrance to the Glade…

Tommy just parked his car, turned it off, and faced a happy Ibuki in the passenger seat, wearing a brown tank top with white suspenders, black shorts, and cool sneakers. Tommy was in his football jersey, minus the shoulder pads, baggy blue jeans, and white sneakers as he remained silent for a while until Ibuki finally spoke.

"It's… funny, Tommy." She started, keeping her eyes on the closed glove compartment with a smile. "Hell just broke loose for me during my freshman year and it got worser and worser as the months went by. By my 20th birthday, I started getting anxious about how my junior year would turn out… and what do ya know? Here you come… but…" Ibuki paused as she looked over at Tommy, who never lost his calm, but sexy smile. "…you'll take back what you said back when you first heard that Darikosho died… right?"

"What I said?" Tommy asked, then realized. "Ohhhh, about how you've been through more Hell than me."

"Yeah. Personally, after everything that's happened in three weeks since we met, I think _you've_ been through more bullshit."

"You right, Sexy-buki. Uncle G was mo' of my problem to deal with, but you made peace wit 'im fo' me somehow. My childhood wasn't that bad, even though I've been havin' those conversations with Fate. My first three years of my life went by so quick, it was ridiculous! I learned my first words at my age of two and started to walk the year after."

"Huh! I never started talking until I was four. So, you _do _learn new things so quickly! I didn't lie to myself."

"How did you suspect it in the first place?"

"During our… um… _celebration_… in the locker room after your first football game win."

"…whoa. I was just desperate for you, baby."

"I know… and that's okay. I was desperate, too. Anyway, shall we go see Don-chan now?"

"Yeah. If ya feel da need ta cry, just say so. A'ight?"

"Got it." After that was said, Ibuki and Tommy got out of the car and, holding hands, they carefully walked across the street and into the bamboo forest towards the Glade. They never said a single word as they continued on their way. During the walk, however, Ibuki showed a sly smile, unbeknownst to Tommy, before she playfully dragged his hand towards her ass and just allowed him to softly grip her there until they got to the Glade. Tommy never said a word of protest nor move his hand. He actually loved where she placed it and decided to just leave it there, gently squeezing it every five steps. That was a sign that she was finally able to spend time with Tommy again without having to talk about Govi in between.

And so, Ibuki ends her ultimate battle with an extremely big bang and, despite the blood and guts that rained down upon the millions of spectators earlier, it was a sign of victory. For Ibuki herself, her sign of victory… was actually hugging Uncle G one more time before his lifetime sentence in prison. It felt good making peace with a person Tommy's been trying to find for most of his life and it felt even better to hear that the very same person donated seven-hundred million dollars to a charity that can save her little brother's life. Fate, or Darikosho, was happy that everything turned out okay, but he was still not ready to rest in peace. One more piece of Tommy's drama puzzle was still missing… or should we say… _a few more pieces._

To be continued…


	19. The Remaining Pieces

Chapter 19: The Remaining Pieces to Tommy's Life Puzzle

Everything was finally at peace on both sides of the relationship. For Tommy, he was finally reunited with his whole family after over sixteen years. He felt as happy as a kid in a candy store and kept it to himself as he watched the life-changing surgery on Don with Ibuki. As for her, she was also internally happy with what she's done since meeting Tommy. Now that she killed Govi with her bare hands, she can finally be at peace with her own soul as well as Tommy's. No more nightmares and no more guilt for Ibuki. She was back to being an ordinary college student with practically no worries to lynch her, especially since she finally found her long lost parents, who actually stood right behind her, having her mother on her left and her father on her right. Tommy's parents were right behind him in the same exact way as they all watched Karthaji's animal rescue friends from back then perform the risky surgery on Don to remove the bullets that Govi shot into him.

Flashes of that brave act of sacrifice went through Ibuki's mind as she smiled. She still couldn't believe that her own pet risked everything he had to save her. Many reasons for that rescue came through her head.

He saw that her relationship with Tommy was thriving…

She's too young to die…

She's his big sister…

He just simply loves her…

Whatever the reason, those were perfect excuses for a sacrifice like that. Having that thought in mind made Ibuki silently cry the happiest tears in her life. Dyvokhan saw this and held her a little closer to her without saying a word, but a smile was enough to convince his daughter that what Don did was indeed something worth keeping carved in stone.

An hour and a half later, at the Street Fighter HQ…

All of the Street Fighters were just minding their own business, doing all kinds of activities. The men were in the billiard room in the back while the women were in the kitchen, just talking, laughing, and having a good time. Sakura was still thinking about that epic battle Ibuki had against Govi and couldn't believe how explosive the ending was. Makoto was the only one who noticed her solemn look and placed a hand on top of her hand from across the table.

"Still can't believe it, huh?" Makoto started. Sakura never spoke as she shook her head in response. This made the karate girl chuckle. "Well, ya better believe it… because I've seen Ibuki perform that move once on Gill… and I kept thinking 'All that shit over a G File she had to confiscate from him?' Sheesh!"

"How did he survive?" Sakura asked with puzzlement.

"Isn't it obvious? He resurrected himself and he gave Ibuki that G File anyway."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot."

"It's okay. I'm glad she finally found a boyfriend and killed her enemy. I still can't believe she's been haunted by him for her first two years of college. Everything seemed fine after our little spar when I visited her with Elena during her first year."

"That's because everything happened _afterwards._" Cammy came in.

"Yikes. I kinda feel bad now… especially after hurting Don during the Third Strike tournament. What the hell was I thinking?"

"Maybe you was thinking of fuckin' up your life with misery." Replied a very familiar cute female voice. Makoto, as well as every other woman that had her back turned, turned around fast to see Ibuki standing ever-so-casually with her hands behind her back with hidden innocence, showing a smile in the same manner. Behind her stood Tommy, Tommy's parents, Ibuki's parents, Sanjou, Enjo, Yuta, Karmayah, Kendra, Bobby, and Sarai. This caught the attention of the men of Street Fighter as they just busted out of the break room door to watch. Makoto was taken aback by that reply and playfully punched Ibuki in the arm before she spoke. "Hey, it's just a thought."

"Insulting as always, huh? Even after everything you've been through."

"Yeah. I just simply came here with all my friends and family to bid ya'll farewell. I'm not gonna be comin' back anytime soon."

"What? Why?"

"Makoto, I have a new life to live now. I'm a fully licensed ninja now and no more fighting for me. As of this moment, I'm using my ninja skills for protection and teaching. That's it."

"Does this mean you won't return to Street Fighter?" Sean asked in the distance. Ibuki never kept her eyes off of Makoto as she continued.

"Yeah, exactly. I'm a grown woman now and I gotta live my life while I can. I nearly died fighting against Govi and, now that he's gone, I can completely place the past where it should be."

"That's good to hear, Ibuki." Chun-Li commented with a smile. "It's been exciting having you here with us, being a part of the Street Fighter legacy. So, how's Don?"

"Present!" Don popped up from behind Ibuki with a smile, speaking in a cute seven year old boy's voice. "Hey, everybody!"

"WHOA!" Sakura exclaimed as she approached Ibuki and Don. "He can talk now?"

"The doctors were so thrilled when they heard about his sacrifice and decided to let him talk by giving him a permanent vaccine that enables him to speak like a human." Karthaji replied. Ibuki nodded in agreement.

"And he was trooper during the operation." She added. "Which brings me to my next point… and I nearly forgot to tell you, Don… Uncle G paid his respects to you, despite being violent towards Velvet… and he hopes you can forgive him."

"Of course, I forgive him, sis! He deserves it for telling the truth." Don replied with a smile.

"Awww, he called you 'sis'!" Sakura commented. "That's so cute!"

"I know." Ibuki agreed. "It feels good hearing that from him. Now, I gotta confess something to my masters and Yuta."

"Uh, oh…"

"Enjo, Sanjou, Yuta… that finishing move you saw… to finish off Govi… I've been self-teaching that move since I was thirteen. It's called the 'Hashinfury Dragon Strike' and I understand that it's forbidden to self-teach dangerous powers like that… and for that, I'm hoping that you'll forgive me." Ibuki bowed down with sincerity towards her two masters and Yuta, who looked at her with shock.

"I always wondered why you're always tired every morning." Yuta came in. "And after seeing that blow, it's no wonder."

"I do admit that it is forbidden," Enjo started. "but nonetheless, you defeated your only enemy with it and restored peace along the way. You have our forgiveness."

"Thank you so much." Ibuki smiled as she said this and gave her family, including her parents, a group hug. During the embrace, Don just had to say it in Ibuki's ear.

"Now you can stop being a teleporting punk."

"Don't make me turn you into a fur coat, Don." Ibuki taunted back at the tanuki. This made Don chuckle.

"Just thought I'd tell ya…"

"We're gonna miss you, Ibuki." Ryu came in after the hug was done. "You've done so much for us as well as to us and we do wish you good luck with your life. If anything happens, don't be afraid to call us."

"I'll keep that in mind… and thanks, Ryu." Ibuki replied as she walked up to the kind fighter and hugged him with all her love. He returned the embrace with just as much love and they just stayed in that position for the next thirty seconds before they finally separated.

"You're very welcome. Now, I promised Sean I'd ask you this before you leave. Is there anything you need to come clean to us about before you go?"

"Um…" Ibuki suddenly grew nervous as she looked up at Tommy, who crossed his massive arms with patience.

"Yeah, Ibuki." Tommy added. "Don't you have somethin' crazy to come clean to?"

"…oh, God… well, yeah. A couple of things. First thing, Alex… during the entire Street Fighter 3 run, I've had a bit of a crush on you."

"Huh!" Alex humphed. "No wonder you acted so shy every time you came up to me."

"Heh, heh… yeah. And uh… by the way, I actually dreamed about us having sex together… and I have proof." Ibuki paused as she went into her duffle bag and pulled out an old bed sheet, showing Alex a faded stain. "See that stain? That came from me getting wet in my sleep, if ya get what I mean."

"Ewww!"

"Dat's gross, dude." Bobby added with Sean by accident.

"I know and I hate myself for it… but it was sooooooo good." Ibuki agreed.

"Yikes." Alex shuttered. "Well, now I know. Anything else?"

"Yeah, one last thing…" Ibuki about-faced towards Makoto and approached her… a little too close. "Makoto, we better do this now before I forget."

"What?" Makoto asked with confusion before Ibuki slowly wrapped her arms around the karate girl's shoulders and slowly leaned in for a passionate kiss on the mouth, catching everybody off guard… especially Tommy. Nothing but passionate moans from both women was heard for the next three minutes before Don, who was watching from Ibuki's shoulder, was wide eyed and said with shock:

"Holy-shit!"

"Holy shit is right, Don." Dyvokhan agreed. Tommy couldn't believe his eyes as he just stood there and watched his girldfriend kiss another woman, as if she was a man. This started to worry him for a moment until Ibuki and Makoto finally broke the kiss ever so slowly and looked at everyone with red, embrassed faces. "IBUKI!"

"Sorry, Dad… and Mom… and everyone." Ibuki started. "For the past few years since meeting Makoto, I vowed to kiss her like that one day, no matter what was going on."

"Why?" Dan asked.

"What did you expect? Makoto looks too much like a boy and… well… I needed make her look good."

"By kissing her?"

"Uh… yeah… and Tommy, before you get all on the offensive, I'm not bisexual nor am I a lesbian. It was just a dare I had to get off my chest before I end up doing it at a wrong time."

"That better be the truth." Tommy taunted playfully.

"It is, thank God." Ibuki released Makoto quickly as she was ready to leave. "Well, this is where we all say goodbye. I really am gonna miss you guys."

"We will, too." Sakura added as she hugged Ibuki one final time. "I glad we met. Hopefully, you can just spar with me again someday."

"I'll see if I can make a break long enough for it."

"Awesome! Well, see ya, Ibuki!"

"Sayonara, everyone!"

The next day, after lunch at the Sarusuberi Library…

Don and Snow were looking at a set of old comics together on the floor while Ibuki and Tommy were sitting at a table right next to the two animals and they were reading up on financial handling. Ibuki shuttered when she read an article on paying monthly bills. Tommy looked over at her with a smile that could, once again, make all women drool.

"You a'ight?" He asked in his deepest tone.

"Bills?" Ibuki asked as she looked closer at the article. "Is that what your parents go through every month?"

"It's hard to pay bills on a tight budget, but I'm sure we'll manage once we graduate. I'm already making enough money as it is and well… you still have another 699,950,000 more dollars left to spend, thanks to Uncle G. We could pretty much make a decent living right now."

"Yeah, I guess." Ibuki got quiet again as she continued to read the book. She was sucked into it after the next two minutes and this was Tommy's chance to tease her a little. He got up from his seat and went over to the child care section and pulled out a book titled 'Motherhood 101: The Simple Joy of Raising a Child'. Tommy chuckled to himself as he took the thick book and sat back down in his seat casually without Ibuki noticing. She was really studying hard to live the rest of her life with no money problems. After about five more minutes, Tommy slowly slid the book he found over to her and she was about to aimlessly open it, but froze when she saw the title with wide brown eyes, and quickly got up from her seat with annoyance. "Oh, no-no-no-no-no!"

"Yes-yes-yes-yes-yes!" Tommy spat back with humor. "Ya gotta read this, just in case… ya never know."

"I don't know, Tommy. What if it's gross beyond what I can handle?"

"That's da whole idea, baby." Ibuki reluctantly went back to her seat after Tommy said this and took the book, just staring at the cover for a moment. "It's gonna be gross, but it'll teach you somethin'."

"About what? Morning sickness? Constant urges to eat? Weight gain? SHEESH! That too much for a woman to go through!"

"I know, but my mom had to do it… and obviously, your mom, too. So, you're no different, if given the chance, that is."

"Yikes. Well, I guess I better read this for my sake, huh?"

"It's fo' da best. In da meantime, I have my version." Tommy paused as he held up a book that was titled 'Fatherhood 101: The Endless Fun of Raising a Child'. Ibuki scoffed at the title. "What?"

"Endless fun, huh? Are they saying that being a Dad is a piece of cake for you?"

"Probably. We can have the thrill of raising the newborn while ya'll work out that baby fat."

"Huh! I'm… actually learning a lot here."

"So… you change your mind?"

"Being a mom might not be so bad… especially for a tough ninja girl like me."

"There ya go. By the way, you're not just saying that just to make me happy, are you?"

"No. I really wanna be a Mom someday. Your mom and mine make it easy."

"It ain't cheap though."

"Of course not." After that was said, the two remained silent as they read their respective books and a smile never left their faces as they continued to read, hoping for the best for each other.

The next five months were passing by for both families. Ibuki really did put her master status to good use one sunny Saturday afternoon when she decided to test them out at the Glade, helping Enjo and Sanjou out.

"Nice threads, Enjo." Ibuki commented as she took a good look at herself in her newest ninja gi. It looked just like her old one, except it was naturally sleeveless and it was a one-piece body suit that was loose fitting, much like one piece overalls. It even had matching black boots and fingerless gloves to blend in with it. "If Tommy saw me in this, he'll never wanna leave me alone in bed."

"So it seems." Enjo agreed with a smile beneath his mask. "Well, I'm glad you like it. You will wear this every teaching day… including that medal you have around your neck."

"The medal, too?" Ibuki took a good glance at the silver medal she earned for her accomplishment in becoming a master. It ironically had a picture of a tanuki on it, just for her. "I thought it would take off some of the glamour, but I guess so."

"Of course. Now, shall we begin teaching these youngsters? They're anxious about being taught by you for the first time."

"And I'm just as anxious about teaching them. Let's do this!"

Meanwhile, with Bobby, Karmayah, and Tommy at the Tokyo Mall…

"Dude!" Bobby exclaimed with excitement as he walking in the main lobby with Karmayah and Tommy. "I can't believe you're finally doing this after five whole months with Ibuki! Are you nervous about it?"

"A lil', yeah." Tommy admitted as he led his two friends to a jewelery store. "But, it has been so long since I met her. It's 'bout time I did this. She deserves it."

"When do you think would be the best time to perform it?" Karmayah asked in wonder.

"I planned it like this. Listen carefully, ya'll…"

Two minutes later…

"Cool!" Bobby commented while Karmayah nodded in agreement. "Ibuki will fall to the floor with shock when that happens! It'll be funny!"

"But, it will also be very quixotic." Karmayah agreed. "She'll love it."

"I think so, too. She has no idea." Tommy agreed.

"Well, hello gentlemen." The British accented male employee greeted. "How can I be of service?"

"Yeah, I reserved an order with ya'll three months back."

"Ahh, Tommy Jaymes Jones, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yes. Step this way, if you please." The gray haired employee walked over to the very far right side of the store, allowing Tommy to follow him on his respective side of the glass counter. "It did indeed take us three months to custom design it, but we've done it and I hope it's to your liking, sir." He paused as he handed Tommy a small black velvet box and he opened it. Tommy never said a word as he looked at his masterpiece and nearly cried at the beauty of it before he gently closed the box. "Well?"

"…it's perfect, man. She'll love it."

"Excellent… and I bid you congratulations on this."

The next morning…

"And this is where my room used to be." Ibuki finished as she just finished giving her parents a tour of the Glade with Sanjou and Sarai. "Almost every morning, I hid on the ceiling, waiting for Yuta, so I could surprise him in an ambush."

"Wow." Zazari commented as she looked around the abandoned room with her husband. "You have really been very well taken care of, Ibuki. At this point, we don't even care if you were raised by ninjas. You just can't help yourself."

"I know and I admit it, but at least, it's fun. It gives me something more to do."

"Indeed, it does." Dyvokhan agreed. "So, you're not Street Fighting anymore. Do you feel bad about it?"

"Eh, not really. I need to get away from there, if I wanna pursue a promising future. Besides, Tommy's been keeping his football winning streak in good stride since I kicked Govi's ass."

"That's good." Zazari commented. "Are you excited about your graduation next month?"

"Finally, yeah. Only one thing is puzzling me about it…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Dean Morris suggested that Tommy and I should get called up to get our diplomas last. I tried asking him why, but he said it was a surprise."

"Hmmmm…"

Sarai and Sanjou looked at each other with wide eyes in realization. They whispered low enough for the Totanuki family not to hear.

"Could… that surprise be… no way!" Sarai whispered. Sanjou nodded in agreement.

"But, it's true." He added. "Tommy has already dedicated so much of his life and love to Ibuki for the past few months since they met. It is about their time to finally finalize their relationship."

"Awww, I'll bet it'll be romantic."

"Oh, I'm sure it will."

A month later, in the Sarusuberi Auditorium at 6:55 PM…

Tommy's parents just arrived at the very front seats, where they were shocked to see Uncle G sitting in the very center, dressed in a sharp black tuxedo. Karthaji was wearing a beautiful baby blue silk kimono dress while Johnnie wore a velvet suit in the same baby blue color. Next to Uncle G was miraculously Velvet, the tiger he nearly killed more than sixteen years ago. He wasn't sitting in a chair, though.

"Uncle G? Velvet? What are you two doing here?" Johnnie asked with shock. Karthaji smiled as she spoke.

"You two made up, huh?" She asked as she carefully took her seat next to the tiger.

"Yup!" Uncle G replied as he gently massaged the giant bengal tiger in between the rounded ears, making him purr with appreciation. "I apologized to 'im on da way here and he just gave me a warm hug as his response. I was surprised, but I loved it."

"That's wonderful!"

"Good." Johnnie added. "'Cause… damn! It was rough back then, when ya first caught 'im."

"Yeah, I know." Uncle G agreed. "But, everythang came out good in da end." Right after that was said, Dyvokhan and Zazari, dressed in a green tuxedo and a green and white silk dress respectively, approached the group before they took their seats on the other side of Uncle G. "Hey, Dyvo. What's happenin'?"

"Nothing much." Dyvokhan replied. "Just happy to see our only daughter graduate from college. Aren't you just as proud, Johnnie?"

"Hell, yeah!" Johnnie replied. "I heard there was supposed ta be a big surprise durin' this graduation. I'm wonderin' what it is."

"I know what it is!" Sarai came in with Don and Snow not too far behind. She was wearing a simple purple silk sleeveless dress as she took her seat next to Karthaji while the two animals laid down in front of her. "But, I'm not gonna tell."

"Awwww, c'mon!"

"Sorry, guys, but trust me on this. You'll need a serious box of tissues when it happens."

45 minutes later…

"Congratulations to all of our graduates of Sarusuberi University!" Dean Morris started as he just finished giving out the diplomas to every student, except Tommy and Ibuki, who remained sitting in the very center of the graduates section of the audience. "On behalf of the Mayor of Tokyo, who couldn't be here due to important business in China, I would like to make a special acknowledgement to one of our fellow students, Miss Ibuki Sairoko Totanuki."

"That's your cue, baby." Tommy whispered to his girlfriend, who looked at him with an adorable smile before she stood up and went up on stage, hearing so much applause and cheers from the rest of the audience, making her feel honored. She never let that smile fade as she got up on stage and approached the Dean.

"Ibuki, your brave act in defeating the killer of Tokyo five months ago was indeed something epic to experience. On behalf of the entire government of Tokyo, Japan, you are awarded the Gold Medal of Heroism… because he, the Mayor, feels that you shall be crowned a hero. Not only have you save your life, but you also saved ours. Thank you so much." After that was said, Morris held up a shiny gold medal and Ibuki got her signature ponytail out of the way before he carefully placed it around her neck. The volume of the applause got louder as they saw the medal around her neck and Ibuki just could not stop smiling as she just stared at the cheering crowd before her, including her parents, Tommy's parents, Don, Snow, Sarai, and Uncle G right below her. "Also, on top of that, this is my reward to you…" Morris paused as he pulled out a small blue box and handed it to Ibuki, who took it and opened it to reveal a beautiful gold class ring with a pure white diamond in the base. "…this class ring is a reward for being Sarusuberi's most hardworking valedictorian."

"Thank you so much, Dean Morris!" Ibuki finally spoke as she gently placed on her class ring on her left ring finger. "Personally, I never would've been able to make it this far without my family… and Tommy. I appreciate all your support everyone! Thank you!" This got the crowd cheering even louder and, in turn, made Ibuki's adorable smile bigger. Morris chuckled.

"Well, you are truly welcome, Ibuki. Speaking of Tommy…" That was Tommy's cue to come up to the stage while Ibuki just received her diploma from one of the staff members. By the time Tommy got on stage, the audience instantly got quiet while Tommy just got his diploma, but he set it to the side on a nearby table as he took off his hat in respect before he spoke.

"Ibuki…" He started as he held both of his girlfriend's hands with love as he looked right into her glossy brown eyes. "…ever since we first met a few months back, somehow I knew… we would get this far. We've been through good times and bad times together… and it didn't hurt ourselves to support each other every once in a while. When I told you about my struggle with my family, you understood completely and your case completely relates to it. That's how I could tell… that we have so much in common. There is one thing that separates you from other women, besides the fact that you're a ninja on the side. It's your naughty nature of making a big, strong, and seemingly unstoppable man like me cry at the very touch of your sexual appitite while keepin' that oh-so adorable and innocent smile on yo' face. Having that alone actually doesn't mean much, but adding it with your love, respect, honor, and sincerity makes you a stronger woman than most men think… and I know you have what it takes to keep that streak going for the rest of our lives together. So, Ibuki…" Tommy paused as he slowly got down on one knee before her, sending the audience going insane, while Ibuki gasped with shock, covering her mouth in the same manner… for she knew what was happening. "…as a man whose heart is just as strong, but fragile as yours, I ask you…" Tommy paused again as he opened the small velvet box and revealed a beautiful sapphire ring with a silver band that was so shiny, Ibuki could see her reflection in it. "…will you marry me?"

"…oh… my God! Tommy! YES! YES, I'LL MARRY YOU! YEEESS!" Ibuki replied with her happiest smile before Tommy stayed as calm as he could, keeping his smile in check, while he carefully placed on the ring before he stood up and picked her up for a loving, but warm hug. The crowd couldn't get any louder as they saw that Ibuki and Tommy were now engaged. Down in the front row, Tommy's parents and Ibuki's parents were both crying with all the joy they had, having the fathers try to keep their sniffling to a minimal while the mothers were crying hysterically. The animals of the audience, Velvet, Snow, and Don, watched this scene with silent, but happy tears as well, having Velvet cuddle Don close to him for comfort. Sarai kept her sniffling down as she was wiping her joyous tears, glad to see her childhood friend finally get engaged with the man she loves more than anything.

Over in the graduates section, Bobby and Kendra, who sat next to each other, held hands in celebration together. The rest of the football team around them were just going nuts in their celebration, just thrilled to see their best player move on. Within the cheering, Brutus had to start the chant.

"KISS HER, TOMMY!" He screamed out, getting the rest of the audience to join him. "KISS HER!"

Up on stage, Ibuki and Tommy was still in their loving embrace, keeping the short young kunoichi master off her feet, as they looked out towards the audience and heard them all chanting 'KISS HER' nonstop, including their families and pets, having Velvet roar with them, since he couldn't talk. This lasted for the next two minutes before the two stared into each other's eyes with all the passion they had before they slowly leaned in for the most delicious passionate kiss they've ever shared, sending the audience cheering without the chant this time, happy to see their command was fulfilled.

Backstage, the transparent glowing spirits of Darikosho and Yzyako watched this scene with endless tears streaming down their eyes. They were so proud of Tommy for finally getting this far in his life of, what used to be, Hell. They were both soon ready to rest in peace, but they had to step out to give him their thanks and seeing the two ghosts come out from backstage, stopped everything slowly, including Tommy and Ibuki's passionate lip-lock. The newly engaged couple turned towards them at full attention, having Tommy gently place Ibuki back down on her feet. Karthaji was the only one who was still crying, glad to see her father once more before he was about to rest in peace.

"Tommy… my only grandson…" Darikosho started. "…I'm so proud of you, my boy." He paused as he turned completely solid and gave Tommy a loving embrace. "You have really restored peace to this family as well as your wife-to-be's family. There is nothing more for me to do for you. I can no longer play my role of Fate and my brother and I can rest in peace at last. We're confident that you can handle the rest of your life on your own. On behalf of Yzyako, he'd like to congratulate you as well."

"How come he can't speak, Grandpa?" Tommy asked in wonder as he gave Yzyako a loving embrace.

"Due to how much grief he gave himself after I took his place as Fate, he commanded that the gods should remove his voice forever, fearful that what he might say next… will strongly alter your life."

"I understand." Tommy ended the hug with Yzyako, who then approached Ibuki, gave her an appreciative smile, and then hugged her next, making the audience and Tommy awe with happiness. "Awww, what did he say there?"

"He's thanking Ibuki for a job well done in breaking your virginity in her most gentle manner possible."

"Heh, heh, heh, heh…"

"That's all he has to say about me, huh?" Ibuki asked with humor. Darikosho chuckled as well as they rest of the audience.

"Well, yes… that and thank you so much for giving Tommy a new life to live. His lifetime struggle is over now." Darikosho replied. "Once again, we both owe all to you, Ibuki. We both wish you good luck in your marriage." Yzyako released the hug after his brother said this and stood back until he was in the same position as Darikosho before they slowly started to glow white, ready disappear into heaven forever. "Goodbye and we will be watching you both. So, stay out of trouble." Those were Darikosho's last words and Yzyako made his final nod in agreement before they both turned into hundreds of tiny spirit particles and ascended into Heaven, where they were to remain forever. Tommy watched this whole scene with watery eyes while Ibuki looked over at him with just as glossy brown eyes.

"How do you feel now, Tommy-chan?" Ibuki asked her husband-to-be in a gentle tone of her cute voice.

"Like a brand new man, Ibuki-baby." Tommy replied as he wiped his tears with a spare napkin he happened to find inside his suit jacket. "I have a feelin' our marriage is gonna go just as well as our parents'."

"You betcha! So, now that Fate is not messin' with us anymore, you're in control. We can live our lives without half-expecting something."

"And what about you, Sexy-buki? Will you still be a ninja, like you said?"

"On the sly, yeah. When bigger responsibilities come into focus, then I'll be sure to cut back on it… and that's a promise."

"That's good, baby. How about we join our family, huh?" Immediately after that was said, Ibuki playfully leaped into Tommy's arms, making him carry her as if they were going to elope any second.

"Carry me, sweetie?" Ibuki asked sweetly with humor before giving him a gentle kiss on the left cheek. Tommy made his sexiest chuckle in his life as he headed off the stage, having Ibuki grab both of their diplomas on the way.

Five minutes later, outside the Saruruberi Campus…

"Boy…" Johnnie started with humor as his only son just approached him with Ibuki still in his arms. "…I just don't know what ta do wit ya anymo'! You finally da man I wanted ya ta be, son! I'm so proud of ya!"

"So am I." Karthaji came in as she hugged the engaged couple. "How does it feel?"

"It feels good, Ma." Tommy replied as he gently placed Ibuki back down on her feet. "My life ain't in Hell no mo' and I can just let everythang flow right by me."

"That's the spirit. I should warn you, then… marriage isn't fun and games anymore, even though you can have that within it. It's all about the love, respect, and honor you have towards one another… and if you happen to add more to the family, then they are not opted out of the ordeal. Remember that. Both of you."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Ibuki?" Dyvokhan came in, approaching his only daughter with Zazari right next to him. "Your mother and I want to take this opportunity to apologize. I know you knew that we loved you, despite abandoning you as a baby, but we're sorry we couldn't take care of you. I hope you can teach us more about parenting than we could."

"Naturally, I am a teacher now." Ibuki replied as she got into a group hug with her parents. "I'm, at least, trying to keep it that way when it comes to my ninja status. I promise I'll be able to teach you guys about it someday… and I never break promises."

"I know you don't, sweetheart." Zazari agreed. "Good luck in your marriage, baby. Don't be afraid to ask us for any assistance."

"Thanks, Mommy."

"Same goes fo' us, Tommy." Johnnie agreed. "If ya gots any questions fo' me and yo' Mama, don't be scared to call us."

"I won't, Dad." Tommy replied as he walked over to Ibuki and picked her up off her feet again with a sexy smile on his face. "Now, Ibuki… what do ya wanna do now?."

"Well, uh..." Ibuki started with a sly smile. "Can we… _celebrate_ …our engagement? I feel you deserve it for bein' such a real man to me since we met."

"Yeah, but I think _you _deserve it mo', Sexy-buki."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You've done so much to mend my broken heart. Now that you fixed it permamently, I can just focus entirely on you, baby."

"Awww, Tommy. I love you."

"I love you, too." They shared a small kiss on the lips after that was said and Ibuki giggled at her small idea. This made Tommy smile. "What's so funny?"

"I just got the craziest idea. Let's do it in Sasha's old hotel room. I heard from my parents that it has a waterbed."

"Oooooh! Baby, you so cute."

"Nyaaaah!"

An hour later, in Sasha's old hotel room…

Tommy was in the bathroom, getting himself ready for his little _celebration_ with Ibuki. Don and Snow were with him, having Snow sitting like a good lizard on the closed toilet seat while Don was on the sink counter, watching the anxious linebacker pat on some after-shave, which smelled quite good to the two animals.

"So, uh… Tommy…" Don started as he scanned the gentle giant's 'costume', which consisted of his suit, minus the white undershirt, showing off his impressive muscles, and no sleeves. "…why did ya mess up your suit?"

"Ibuki thought it would be fun to try some role-playin'." Tommy replied as he grabbed his large sized leather fingerless gloves and slipped them on. "I'm playin' a high school principal while Ibuki plays a naughty student. She still has her old school uniform and she kinda altered it a lil' bit. I can't wait to see what she did."

"Huh! Yeah, I'm sure we men can't wait."

"Heh, heh… do not be nervous, Don-chan." Snow reassured. "I'm sure it will be so bad, yes?"

"Naw, I guess. Well, Tommy, are ya ready?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied as just pulled out a whip that was as long as his height, minus the inches. "I can tell ya'll this, though… it's gonna be hot and steamy. So, uh… brace yaselves."

"Already did." The two pets replied simultaneously on purpose.

"We will watch from cracked-open bathroom door at safe distance, however. Sounds good, yes?" Snow added immediately after that. Tommy nodded in response.

"Yeah, dat sounds cool… and keep quiet, too."

"Oh, you bet we will!" Don added. "Ya'll have fun now, here? Heh, heh."

Twenty seconds later, in the bedroom…

Ibuki was already sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed in her old blue school uniform from high school, except she was without the white shirt underneath with no bra and she wore no panties under her skirt. In other words, she was just completely naked under her school uniform. She sat there with her smooth legs crossed as she saw Tommy in his sexy suit come out, smacking the folded-up whip in his hand as a way to taunt her. She was never intimidated as she spoke, keeping her seductively cute smile on her face.

"Well, hello there, Principle Jones." She started in a sexy version of her adorable voice. "What's the matter? Have I been a bad girl?"

"I believe so, my lady." Tommy replied in a playful gruff man's voice as he continued to approach his wife-to-be. "You've been crowned valedictorian and yet… you still tend to be naughty towards your own principal? You just don't have no respect."

"On the contrary, sir…" Ibuki paused as she stood up and turned around, nearly showing her bare ass from under her skirt. "…I do have respect towards you. I just… don't have respect for your collegues."

"Ah, that's understandable… knowing that there was only one."

"Sasha, sir?"

"Yeah." Tommy prepared his whip. "Now, do you have anything else to confess?"

"Oh, just shut up and whip my ass, Mr. Jones. I deserve it, don't I?"

"Indeed, you do. Now, stand still." After that was said, Ibuki made a seductive sideglance towards Tommy as she prepared for the whipping. The gentle linebacker didn't hesitate this time before he gave her the hardest smack he could and this actually sent her making a passionate moan instead of a scream of pain. "Ahhh, this intrigues you, my dear. Why is that?"

"You're the one for me, that's why. I'm the only student you treat with the utmost respect and anything you say or do will not hurt me."

"I understand." Tommy chuckled before he threw the whip away and approached Ibuki, who still had her back turned, and gently took a good hold of her love handles before he leaned down towards her neck and smothered her with kisses. This made her groan with lust as she slowly leaned her head back and held him close. After a good five minutes of this expedition, Tommy slowly ended the smothering with a good lick on the back of her neck before he continued. "Mmmmm. Your anxiety facinates me, sweetheart. You're not as naughty as most people think."

"Oh? And why do you say that, Principal Jones?" Ibuki asked as she turned around and sat back down on the bed, spreading her smooth legs apart, nearly exposing her wet pussy lips. "Do you want me?"

"In your manner of speaking, yes." Tommy looked right at the area between her legs and started to drool on the inside. "Want me to prove it?"

"I think that would be useful. Go ahead. I'm ready for ya." Tommy didn't waste no time in getting down on his knees in front of his lover and slightly pulled her skirt back a little bit, allowing him to get a good look at how wet she already was. Some moisture was already on the skirt even! This made Tommy get out of his playing character for a moment.

"Goddamn, Sexy-buki! How long have you been wet, baby?"

"Tee, hee! Since you proposed to me."

"Whoa-ho-ho! Shit, baby girl! You are so ready!"

"You made it happen, ya know."

"Yeah, that's true." Tommy kept his sexy smile in check as he continued his role as the naughty principal. "Now, let's see if you can handle how much I want you." After that was said, he slowly leaned towards her pussy and started giving her clit a good licking alone, immediately sending her going insane in a matter of seconds!

Ibuki screamed out her passion all over the room, desperately holding Tommy's head closer to her and was just constantly begging him to keep going. Tommy never disobeyed as he alternatively licked and suckled her most sensitive area with all the passion he had. This went on for the next fifteen minutes until Ibuki's screams got even louder, indicating that she was close to her first climax. Tommy never slowed down as he heard this and just focused on sucking her, making her fragile body shiver vigoriously for the next three minutes until she finally came with a vengance, squirting her pleasure juice all over her husband-to-be's face, having most of it aim right into his open mouth and he tasted every last pint of it before he slowly stood up and licked his lips with satisfaction, allowing Ibuki to lean back and relieve herself for a little while as her orgasm was slowly fading away.

"Yeah, baby." Tommy sighed as he took off his jacket and tossed it aimlessly to his right side, keeping his lustful eyes on his girl. "You're more senstive down there than I thought."

"…yeah, well… I … I just can't help myself." Ibuki managed to say in between heavy breaths. "Karmayah gave you a little too much information."

"Hey, he wanted to share it all, Ibuki-baby. Now, um… are we gonna finish this?"

"Give me another minute." Ibuki continued to wait for her lingering orgasm to fade as she just sat there, slightly leaned back. A full minute passed since then and Ibuki was completely recharged. "Whew! Okay, I'm good now."

"Good, because… uh… I'm not wearin' my boxers under these pants."

"Say-what-now? You serious?"

"Hell, yeah, I'm serious." Tommy sat right next to her and gave her his most passionate kiss he could perform and after about a minute of it, he slowly broke the kiss and looked deeply into Ibuki's eyes, making her slightly moan as she looked into his bright green ones. "You wanna taste me, baby?"

"Just like you did to me? You know I do." It was now Ibuki's turn to return the favor. She got off the bed and sat on her knees in an adorable way while Tommy unzipped his pants and just sat there, allowing the cute kunoichi to sift her slender hands inside for about ten seconds before she finally exposed his huge dick right in her face. She kept her focus on it as she made her cutest seductive smile while giving his dick a good massage for a while. All Tommy could do was just look at her with lust, admiring how cute she can be, even in a hot, sexual moment like this. After a good two minutes, Ibuki took her sweet time taking his chocolate passion stick into her mouth while she kept her adorable brown eyes focused on him the whole time. Again, Tommy couldn't help but smile at her naughty, but sweet behavior. When he felt her professional tongue swirl around him, that's when he finally started to moan with a little passion.

"Awwwww, yeah, baby." He moaned as he slowly leaned back, taking in Ibuki's suckling. "Damn, that feels too bum, girl!"

"Mmmmm." Ibuki replied before she slowly pulled away for a moment and allowed some of her spit mixed with his cum to drip all over her chest and clevage. "You taste too bum, baby. Tee, hee."

"Damn, you're so cute."

"You know it! Wanna go in my lower set of lips now? Wet as I am?"

"And big as I am? Fuck, yeah… but um… I don't… wanna take off these pants."

"I noticed. Sucking you with them on didn't bother me. I ain't takin' off my skirt neither."

"Can you take off your top?"

"Force it off and you can have me."

"Mm! Damn, girl. I like the way you runnin' thangs!" Tommy chuckled after that statement before he gently grabbed the shoulders of the top and used all of his strength to rip it in half, exposing those beautiful C-cup sized breasts he loved so much. Ibuki never let her cute, sexy smile disappear as she looked up at him with a little anxiety. "Yeah, baby. Even your tits are ready!"

"Well, how about up shut up and fuck me up?" As Ibuki said this, she slowly leaned back on the bed and exposed her wet lips to him while he just sprayed on his condom. "I want you to use everything you got! Don't hesitate."

"Oh, a'ight! I see ya!"

Five minutes later…

Tommy was already over top of Ibuki, having his huge hands miss her shoulders by a few inches, while he looked right into her eyes as he was pumping inside of her with all of his strength. Ibuki was being a real woman, trying so hard not to move during this expedition. She maintained herself as she was alternatively gasping, moaning, and screaming his name in between thrusts and she never begged him to stop. She just laid there with her slender, but strong arms around his neck as she just pulled him closer to her for a passionate kiss. Doing this immediately made Tommy's humping speed go a little faster and Ibuki responded to it by automatically humping right back at him, feeling just about the same lustful tingle that brought them closer together before. Ten minutes went by and Ibuki was peaking again as she forced the kiss to end and just screamed out her ecstasy to her husband-to-be, who smiled at the sexy music he was hearing.

"Mmmmm, yeah." Tommy commented as he quickened his speed, making his lover's fragile body shiver vigoriously. "You're a bad school girl, but that's what makes you an honorable student."

"Oooooooh!" Ibuki groaned with lust. "Well… aaaahhh… you're the one who… ohhhhh, God… makes it soooooo special. Aaaaahhhhh, Tommy!"

"Heh, heh, heh, heh… awww, baby. Don't hesitate to beg me to stop. I can, if you want me to."

"Are you outta your fuckin' mind? There is no way you are gonna stop! You keep fuckin' me, baby. I'm… oh, shit… I'm almost there! DON'T YOU STOP FOR NO SHIT! AAAAAHHHH!"

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear. As you wish, my darlin'." Tommy made it to breakneck speed after that was said and that did it for Ibuki. She couldn't even last a whole minute before her strong orgasm came through, but Tommy didn't pull out of her. He was still pumping inside of her and he groaned at the feeling of Ibuki's pussy walls clamp down on his dick, like an extremely defensive boa constrictor. He started to drool at that feeling as he kept his bright green eyes on the sweaty and screaming kunoichi master below him. "Aaaahhhhh, yeah, baby. Judging by your body, you can't seem to handle your own principal's rules."

"Aaaaah… ooooh… you… ugh… you bad boy!" Ibuki's orgasm was still at its peak as she struggled to get a good tasty kiss on Tommy's neck. When she finally reached him, Tommy stopped his pumping session momentarily to allow her to taste him for a short while. He never showed any sign of a weakness as he continued his verbal teasing.

"C'mon, baby. That's all you're gonna give me after all that fuckin' shit?" Ibuki was taken aback by that statement and moved her mouth away from him, showing a look that said 'Oh, no he didn't!'.

"You can't be serious." Ibuki spat back before she slowly sat up as her orgasm ended. "What do you want me to do?"

"Naw, baby. The question what do you want _me _to do?"

"…"

"I wanna fuck your ass. That's what I want."

"Is that right?" Ibuki stood up from the bed and allowed Tommy to lay on his back on the waterbed while she slowly crawled on top of him, aiming her smooth ass right above his erection in a nearly-catlike position, ready for the intrusion. She kept her sexy annoyed look on her cute face as she kept her eyes on his sexy smile. "Well, if that's what you want… but you owe me on our honeymoon later."

"What do I owe you, if I may ask?" Ibuki slowly eased down, slightly cringing at the feeling of his dick going up her ass for the first time, but kept her cool as she replied.

"We're makin' that baby my way. Whatever I want you to do, I want you to do it…" She paused as she slowly leaned towards him, keeping her seductive look in perfect harmony with her cuteness. "… and do it right. If you do me wrong, then dire consequences will await you… and I promise you…" She started to slightly hop on his dick in her ass as she finished. "…ooooh… it won't be so pretty."

"I'm anxious, baby." Tommy never felt a thing as he just laid there and watched his adorable lover hop on his dick in her ass. He kept his green eyes on her bouncing breasts the whole time and he just couldn't help but grab both of them gently, giving her nipples a good massage on the side, making her feel even more horny than she's ever been before. "You can't even handle me in your ass for the first time. I ain't scared of you."

"I know you ain't scared." Ibuki's humping speed got a bit faster as she said this and in a matter of five minutes afterwards, her orgasm came and went in less than thirty seconds, completely disappointing her. She forced herself off of him with that disappointed look. "Goddamn it! Getting fucked in the ass isn't as hot as I thought."

"You ain't used to that, Sexy-buki."

"Yeah, I guess… but it still felt good."

"Well, let me make it better." Tommy gently pushed her off of him and Ibuki just stood there as he stood on his knees on the bed. The young ninja got the hint immediately and grabbed a stool that was nearby for the support she may need before she headed back to Tommy with it. When she got it into its proper position, Ibuki used her professional ninja flexibility to prop herself up back on the bed with her knees sitting at about two inches away from the edge and her slender hands right on top of the stool, having her midsection in between the two objects, ready for her second intrusion. Tommy was impressed by what he just saw and this got him all curious before he was ready. "…wow. Just… wow…"

"Hee, hee… what's wrong, Tommy? Never seen this position before?" Ibuki kept her sexy smile as she looked back at him. He chuckled at her naíveté as he spoke.

"Naw, baby girl. This is brand new to me… and I love it already. Are you sure you can hang on to that? 'Cause I have a crazy feelin' that it's gonna get hot up in here."

"I don't care. As long as you satisfy me as well as yourself. I'm ready anytime."

"A'ight. Keep still, then." After that was said, Tommy gently grabbed Ibuki's hips before he slowly slid himself inside her ass and this sent her leaning her head back with ecstasy while she moaned in the same manner. She held on to the side edges of the stool with her life as she took in this new feeling. At this point, Ibuki was actually blessed with a man like Tommy. She surely did promise to keep everything in the past where it should be and now that she was about to be his bride, she was celebrating like a toddler at a birthday party on the inside. She finally got this far in her life and she is never going back. As for Tommy, as he was thrusting in and out of her asshole with all his strength, he was also celebrating like a little kid at a candy store on the inside. The remaining pieces of his life puzzle were finally found and he had just one more to go. He smiled at the thought of it as he spoke in his mind.

_I can't believe how well Ibuki's takin' this for her first time gettin' it up the ass like this._His voice in his head started._ She really has flourished over the many months we've been together. My life is almost complete. I just have to keep my promise to her… my promise that I'll always treat her like the queen I know she is… the cutest queen I've ever seen. Heh, heh…_

A good twenty minutes went by and Tommy was still thrusting inside of Ibuki's sensitive ass. She started to moan and groan between the numerous intrusions and her pussy was just dripping with powerful excitement. As she felt this, she managed to gain the strength with one arm on the stool while her right hand went down to those wet lower lips and was teasing herself by rubbing her clit and sliding those same first two fingers inside of her every five rubs. Tommy was finally starting to get close himself as he finally grunted with effort since he started. After five more minutes, Ibuki's left arm was starting to surrender its strength and she was worried about how much longer she couldn't last. Despite this, she kept her game face on as she continued to support all one hundred and one and a half pounds of herself on that one hand while she continued to pleasure herself with her other hand. Tommy's climax was closing in on him slowly as he quickened his pace, making Ibuki's left arm slightly shiver with weakness as Tommy's sweaty thighs were just faintly slapping against her just-as-sweaty thighs, ready for that final stretch to come and take over him as well as her.

Seeing that the young kunoichi was at risk of falling off the stool, he found the perfect opportunity to wrap one huge muscular arm on his left around her waist and it worked to perfection! Ibuki immediately regained her strength in her formerly fatigued arm and just focused entirely on pleasuring herself by just thrusting her first two fingers in and out of her, hearing gut wreching squishing noises from it. She didn't care and neither did Tommy. All that mattered to them was their sexual satisfaction. Fifteen more of the slowest minutes in their lives went by and Ibuki's sudden flash of an orgasm on its way automatically triggered her reflexes. Once her bright chocolate brown eyes shot open with the feeling of pure ecstasy ready to drive her insane, she quickly forced her hand out of herself, propped herself up on the stool completely with both hands, and just started humping her ass right back at him as fast as she could, making the cutest passionate moans and groans she has ever sang. After a short while, she added some screams, as if she saw a ghost, as she continued in this position, making Tommy moan with her screams as his thrusting got faster and faster with each passing minute, still keeping his strong arm around her waist for added support. They were in this position for the next five minutes until finally…

"Aaaaahhh… Tommy-chaaaaan… I… I'm cumming… I'M CUMMING! YAAAAAHHHH… AAAH… HAAAAA!" Ibuki groaned at her loudest as she was getting close.

"Mmmmm!" Tommy managed to moan as he was getting close himself. "Shit, baby! Mmm… aaaahhhh… yeah, girl… work dat ass, Ibuki-chan… fuck!"

"Yeah, baby… aaaaaahhhh… Like that?... Ooooooh! Fuck, Tommy-chan! OH, SHIT! AAAAAAAAHHHH… DON'T MAKE ME STOP!"

"Awwwww, shhhhhhit! Aaaahhh… haaaa… AAAAAHHHHH, FUCK YEAH, SEXY-BUKI… WORK IT, GIRL… ooooooh, damn… I'm lovin' dat ass, girl!"

"Hee, hee… I know you do, baby. Oooooooh, fuck… yeah… oh, yeah… AAAAAHHHH… YES… YES… YEEEEEES… TOMMYYYYYY!"

"AAAAAHHHHH… IBUKIIIIIII!"

They both came at the same time, having Tommy make one final thrust into her ass, as they both screamed out at their loudest volume possible. Two minutes passed since then and Tommy slowly pulled out of her, having the condom wear off right when it was completely out. Ibuki shuddered at the friction as she maintained herself on the stool and the bed, issuing heavy breaths while her head was bowed down with exhaustion. Tommy chuckled at this position as he carefully got off the bed, zipping up his fly on the way, and kneeled down before Ibuki, getting right in her face as she turned towards him on her left. She saw his signature passionate smile before her and she issued a smile just as caring before they slowly leaned in for a tasty tongue wrestling match inside their mouths for the next minute and a half before they slowly parted and just stared a little too deeply into each other's eyes as the gentle giant spoke.

"Damn, baby girl." He commented in his deepest tone. "You handle dat shit like a bitch."

"It was just… too fuckin' good." Ibuki admitted, still trying to maintain her breathing in between some words. "But, I gotta tell ya. You handled me just as well as I did towards you."

"You're so easy to tease. That's why."

"Hee, hee… yeah, I figured that." Ibuki made one last sigh before she professionally propped herself up in a handstand on the stool before she slowly landed back on her feet after a good thirty seconds of her small balancing act. She dusted off her skirt and slipped on a new school uniform tank top before she approached her husband-to-be, wrapped her slender, but strong arms around his midsection, making her slender hands slowly rub against his back, and just stared at his handsome face while he kept his gentle hold on her love handles. "You make sex fun, baby. Did you know that?"

"I do now… but that's only because you just look too cute when you're in the moment like that."

"Turns you on, doesn't it?"

"Hell yeah!" Tommy paused as he looked at the digital clock on the nighstand. It said '11:58 PM'. He whistled at it. "Damn! We lasted longer than I thought."

"Yeah." Ibuki just looked at the clock herself. "Wow. We were so happy and we still are. How about we get some sleep, Tommy-chan? We have huge plans to make tomorrow, ya know."

"Yeah… oh, and befo' I forget…" Tommy paused as he leaned in for one more small kiss on the lips with Ibuki before he finished off by saying: "…I love you, Ibuki-chan."

"I love you, too, Tommy." After that was said, they both got into the waterbed, still dressed in their 'costumes' as their pajamas, and snuggled together for a few seconds, having Ibuki cuddle her head under Tommy's chin in her most adorable manner ever, before they eventually fell asleep in each other's arms.

They were both excited about their marriage and neither one of them knew that they wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world. Tommy's life puzzle was almost complete and just a few more pieces were needed instead of just one…

To be continued…


	20. Preparations

Chapter 20: Preparations

With high hopes on, what could be, the biggest day for Tommy and Ibuki in three days, the morning after the hottest sex they've ever had started with a beautiful sunrise. Ibuki was the first to open her eyes, despite how banged up she was last night, and was wide eyed for a moment as she saw an observing old African American man just stare at her with a hard concentrated look on his face. She screamed with a little fear as she tried to back away, but ended up hitting her head on the backboard.

"OW! DAMN IT!" Ibuki exclaimed as she was rubbing the pain away. "Who the hell…?"

"Mm-hmmm." The old man hummed in an old gruff male voice as he got closer to her face for a better look, making her look wide eyed with discomfort. "She is cute in dat face of hers, but you say she a ninja, boy?"

"Yeah, Dad." Johnnie replied in the distance. Ibuki looked completely confused as she took a good look around the room and saw Tommy's family on his Father's side surrounding the bed she and Tommy were in. "This is Ibuki. She's the ninja girl Tommy's gonna marry. Ya got a problem wit dat?"

"Naw, naw, son. She's pretty. Aren't ya, lil' lady?"

"Uhhhhhhh…"

"What the hell…?" Tommy sprung up wide awake and alert as he heard his second grandfather's voice. "Grandpa Kenneth? What are you doin' here?"

"Heard ya was getting married ta Ibuki and we wanted ta meet 'er." Kenneth replied with a dentured smile.

"'We'?" Tommy paused as he saw the rest of his African American side of his family. He nearly fell out of the bed with shock. "Whoa! Dad!"

"What?" Johnnie asked. "Ibuki has ta meet da family befo' ya'll get married."

"I understand that, but couldn't that wait until we both got outta bed?"

"Are you crazy? And ruin the plot? Hell, naw!"

"Ugh! Well, I'll meet them in a minute. Right now, I'm in desperate need of a shower." Ibuki groaned as she stood up and headed for the bathroom to freshen up. When she stepped in, however, she got startled as she saw the shortest grown man she's ever seen standing on the toliet seat, taking a piss. "Awwww, look at you. You're even shorter than Bobby."

"Ain't it da truth, Sexy-buki! Tee, hee… hot nickname!" The short man spoke in a high pitched male voice, nearly making him sound like Stitch. He was almost the exact splitting image of Tommy, except he was bald and had light brown eyes. "Da name's Jeraymé. Nice ta meet ya, cutie. Glad ta see ya about to marry my younger cousin."

"Jeraymé… Tommy's _older _cousin?"

"Yep." The short man just zipped up his pants as he flushed the toilet and applied hand santitizer on his chubby hands before he jumped off the seat. "By a good two years, but still older."

"Huh! O…kay. Can I take a shower now?"

"Oh, sho' thang, girl. Fo' sho! Sorry ta keep ya waitin'." After that was said, Jeraymé casually walked out of the bathroom while Ibuki made a small smile before she closed the door behind her and settled down for her hot shower. Tommy got excited as he saw his favorite cousin exit the bathroom. "HEYYY, TOMMYY! What's happenin', cuz?"

"JERAYMÉ!" Tommy exclaimed as got out of bed quickly and gently picked up his two feet and three inch tall cousin. "How have you been?"

"I've been good, man. Cute girlfriend ya gots there. Can't wait ta see da weddin'. I bet it's gonna be awesome!"

"We… actually haven't planned it yet. We were about to discuss over it, but seein' that Dad invited all ya'll over here without tellin' me, we're gonna have to put it on hold until ya'll leave."

"Awww, c'mon! I can contribute to da idea circle! I've got a great idea!"

"Ya sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. You won't regret it!"

"Hmmmm… lay it on me, man."

An hour later, at a breakfast bar in Downtown Tokyo…

"Jeraymé wants us to have a ninja themed wedding?" Ibuki asked after hearing Tommy's statement. He nodded in response as he was eating some turkey bacon. "Sounds cool, but doesn't it cost money?"

"Yeah, but it won't be too much to spend, considerin' the location." Tommy replied with honesty.

"Which is…?"

"In that giant backyard at the Street Fighter place."

"YES! Perfect! My old Street Fighter friends will surely be there to see me again. You haven't told them about our engagement, did you?"

"Naw, not yet."

"Good. I want them to be surprised… except the ladies, of course. So, um… any idea where you wanna go after the wedding?"

"Wanna see my old house in Siberia, Russia?"

"Yeah, sure… wait! Really?"

"Yeah. Also, there's this beautiful resort my parents went to when they got married. I know where it is, but I forgot the name of it. Rumor has it that once you step in this resort, you'll never wanna leave because of its stunning rainforest setting."

"Awww, that sounds like fun! Now, back to the wedding, who's gonna be the ringbearer?"

"Oooooh, good question. Well, all of my cousins are too old to take that role, but… uh… maybe… Don?"

"Don-chan? As a ringbearer? HA!"

"What's that for?"

"He can't even 'bear' a TV remote!"

"I'm sure that if he practiced, he could handle it like a champ. Besides, I'm lettin' Velvet be in charge of holding that long trail of silk on your wedding dress with Snow. I finally got that giant lizard to walk on his hind legs."

"Oooooh, that'll be pretty to see."

"I knew you would like it, baby. Now, listen. Me and my family are gonna set up the weddin' plans while you and the ladies hunt for that perfect wedding dress… unless you wanna take your old ninja outfit and spice it up a bit with a wedding glare."

"Ya… ya know what? I was just thinking about doing that. I could turn that headwrap into a veil."

"There ya go! As for me… well… it's a surprise."

"Sweet! But, Tommy, since we're at this point of our relationship, I came clean with my confessions. How about you?"

"Sasha wasn't my first girlfriend."

"Huh! Go figure! Since she was a bitch who had no sense whatsoever! What was her name?"

"Her name was Tyviiana Kwason. She was voted cutest student in my high school."

"Just as cute as me, right?"

"Pretty much, yeah… but she was born cute. She was born with a rare birth defect that wasn't harmful at all, but it was still making her look left out of the rest of society. Doctors called it 'Adorabailsis'."

"Sounds harsh."

"Not really. When she was born, her brown eyes were as wide and big as baseballs. She could blink them, but she couldn't fix her double vision. It didn't bother her, though. As she grew, she never grew taller than Jeraymé. He may be the shortest man I know, but she was the shortest woman. At two feet even, she was the cutest girl I've ever met in high school. Ironic thing about that, though, is that she was the only student who came from Austrailia, so her accent was pretty authentic."

"Whoa! What happened to her?"

"During our first two years of our relationship, she treated me like a woman should treat a man, just like you… only it ended up becoming a love triangle in her perspective. She had an ex boyfriend that was desperate to get her back and, seeing me next to her was the biggest trigger in his life, if you catch my drift."

"Oh, no… he killed her?"

"Point blank range with a knife to her head… right before my eyes. I'll never forget her. Compared to you, she's a perfect mirror image of your personality and attitude, but compared to Sasha, she was the complete opposite of her melodramatic ass."

"Awwww, I'm so sorry to hear that. She sounds like a nice girl. I would've been honored to meet her, if I had the chance."

"Thanks, Ibuki-baby. I knew you wouldn't be jealous."

"Why would I be? She was ten times shorter than you, but you still handled her as gently as a precious stone… and she was so sweet towards you, despite that huge height difference."

"Heh, heh… she inspired me to honor, love, and salute women even more after my Mom was arrested."

"Awww, that's so sweet. Do you have anything to remember her by?" It was silent between the two of them as Tommy kept his sexy smile on while he reached into his duffle bag on the floor next to him on his left and pulled out an adorable stuffed lop-eared rabbit that was white all over with blue marbles for the eyes. It had a pink leather collar around its neck that said 'To Tommy, From Tyviiana… I'll always love you forever' in purple letters. Ibuki admired the giant stuffed animal as she continued. "Awww, that's cute!"

"Yeah. She named it TJ. She gave it to me as a small Easter gift during our freshman year of high school. She never saw me as a man who hated stuffed animals and I'm not that kind of man fo' real. I'll take any gift from a woman… as long as it's not somethin' stupid."

"Like soap?"

"Yeah, exactly."

"Huh! Yeah, I wouldn't take a gift like that neither. Can I hold it? You know how much I love stuffed animals."

"Judgin' by that giant stuffed tanuki you had in our dorm room, it's no wonder." Tommy chuckled after that statement as he handed over his stuffed animal to his wife-to-be, who snuggled with it immediately after taking it. "This is one thing I would never share with my football teammates. They'll laugh at me."

"Awww, c'mon, Tommy! This is a gift from your first girlfriend! They shouldn't laugh at you for this. This is sacred treasure I'm cuddlin' with here… and as your treasure, you can keep it." Ibuki reluctantly handed the giant stuffed white rabbit back to her future husband and he just held it close, taking a deep inhale of its fresh lavender scent it's had since he last washed it, which was two days ago. "Just imagine that Tyviiana's spirit is inside, giving you memories of her every day."

"I've… never done that before with this thing. That sounds like a good idea."

"You can place it on the altar at the wedding. All that long hair on it… it looks so pretty. It can make a good touch-up on the altar."

"Thanks, baby." Tommy placed the stuffed animal away safely before he resumed the remainder of his breakfast. Ibuki was finished with hers already and this stunned him as he stared at her clean plate. "What the hell…?"

"What?" Ibuki looked down at her empty plate in realization and looked back up at the gentle giant before her and made a cute little belch, making her giggle afterwards. "Tee, hee… pardon."

"What did you order?"

"A short stack of pancakes, three strips of turkey bacon, hash browns, and sausage."

"Damn! How many pancakes were in your stack?"

"Three."

"And you ate all of dat in less than ten minutes?"

"Tee hee. I can't help my fast eater skill. A girl has to eat, too, ya know."

"Yeah, but not so fast. I'm not even done with my hash browns yet!"

"Take your time."

An hour later, back at Sasha's old hotel room…

Tommy just walked in the door alone since Ibuki was already sent to the Street Fighter HQ to pick up some of the ladies to help her out with picking out a wedding dress… or customizing it. His dad's side of the family was still there and seeing Tommy walk in made them stop their conversations immediately. Johnnie was the only one who spoke.

"Had a good breakfast, son?" He asked him. Tommy nodded with a smile.

"Yeah… except Ibuki finished her meal befo' me… again."

"Heh, heh… you can't beat her fast eatin' skills! Anyway, what's up?"

"A'ight, ya'll. Ibuki's with da girls to find or make a perfect wedding dress. As for us, we're gonna set up this weddin' in the backyard of the Street Fighter place. At least the men over there won't know about this until it starts. They'll be riveted."

"Yep, totally." Jeraymé agreed. "Who's plannin' da weddin'? Ya know… to make sure nothin' messes up?"

"Oh, I'm sure Aunt Khovie can do that. Can ya?"

"Well, I do work as a wedding planner." The short haired mid-fifties woman replied in a not-so-deep female voice. "Since it's going to have a ninja and samurai theme to it, we have to make it so beautiful, your Street Fighter friends will talk about it for the rest of their lives."

"I knew I could count on ya, Auntie… but there's just one thing I wanna add…" Tommy paused as he pulled out the same pure white long haired and long eared stuffed rabbit that he showed to Ibuki earlier. Everybody gasped at it before Khovie spoke.

"Oh, my… that's your old stuffed rabbit from high school that this sweet little girl gave you as an Easter gift. What was her name again? Tyviiana?"

"Yeah. I wanted to place this on the altar between Ibuki and I, if that's okay. Tyviiana may be gone physically, but I can actually feel her spirit in this stuffed animal."

"Awww, you miss her so much. I understand, sweetheart. We can make that a quick touch-up for the altar, sure."

"Thanks."

"So, who's who, so I can start planning this wedding?"

"Well, we already planned Don to be the ringbearer and Velvet and Snow to hold up the long lace behind Ibuki's dress."

"Who's gonna be the flower girl?"

"…oooh. Um… aw, man… I don't know. Kendra can't do it. She may be short, but she's not a lil' girl."

"Hmmm… I'll allow it."

"You will?"

"Tommy, to me, age ain't nothin' but a number when it comes to wedding plans. If the girl's as short as a toddler, but not as young as one, then she still qualifies as a flower girl in my book."

"Thanks, Aunt Khovie."

"You're welcome. Now, who's going to be the 'preacher' of the wedding?"

"I'm sure Master Enjo would be honored to marry us. He's been raising Ibuki since she was a baby. Having that role in the wedding would make him feel like a new master in the end."

"Awww, that'll be so sweet. Okay… the Best Man… who will that be?"

"Hmm! I was gonna say my best friend, Bobby, but then again, I wanna make Karmayah my best man."

"WHAT?" Johnnie came in. "WHY?"

"Look, ya'll. I know ya'll chose to do a ninja themed wedding for a reason. Ibuki's done so much more for me than ya'll think. She deserves all of this honor and gratitude. Let's just say that this wedding is all about her and her wish to remain a part of my heart. Having Karmayah as my Best Man would mean a whole lot to him as well as me. He treated her like a princess back then before she met me, even after she was raped… and he passed all of that positive energy to me and I treated her more like a queen at that point. I nearly spoiled that girl."

"Shoo, boy! You spoilin' her now."

"Well, either way, that does sound like a plan to me." Aunt Khovie agreed with Tommy. "So, Karmayah is your Best Man?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied. "But, I'm sure Ibuki made a good choice for her Maid of Honor…"

Meanwhile, on the way to a bridal shop in Ibuki's new bright green Fiesta…

"I can't believe you're getting married, Ibuki!" Sakura cheered in the passenger seat. Chun-Li, Elena, and Karin were in the back seat. "How does that make you feel?"

"Like a brand new woman." Ibuki replied as she kept her focus on the road as well as her GPS commanding her where to go. "This wedding's gonna be awesome!"

"Really?" Elena asked. "Why?"

"It's gonna have a ninja taste to it."

"Huh!" Chun-Li exclaimed with surprise. Karin chuckled with a casual smile as she crossed her arms in the same manner. "Go figure."

"And I think I know why." Karin added. "Do you know why, Ibuki?"

"Uh… not really. Does it have to have a reason? I just think it's cool." Ibuki replied with honesty. "But, if you do know the reason, enlighten me."

"Well, it should be obvious. You've done so much for Tommy since he ran into you on that fateful day. He knew that something about you would drastically change his life inside and out. You've discovered his weakness with Sasha and, as a result, he killed her out of his rage. Then, he feels your pain of being raped by a man who cared less about women and makes you feel as happy as he possibly can… and that amazing final blow you did to Govi… that was all ignited by your love for Tommy, wasn't it?"

"…" Ibuki heard every word from Karin and kept a serious look of deep thought on her face as she kept her eyes on the road. The young kunoichi master knew that the Hashinfury Dragon Strike wasn't fired up because of her constant self-teaching of it since her teen years. It was fired up because of how much she loved her future husband… and judging by how huge that final explosion was, her love was beyond any woman's love towards a man. Elena, Chun-Li, and Sakura looked at her with surprised faces as Karin continued.

"Don't you all look so flabbergasted about this. You know it's true and you must admit it… especially you, Ibuki. You can stop me if I'm wrong."

"Could've told me that sooner." Ibuki muttered with sarcasm. "But, either way, yeah… you're absolutely right about everything. I wanted Govi to get through his thick-ass skull that I love Tommy more than anything and he can't take him away from me! Now that he's burning in Hell, he can finally realize how cruel he's been to our society."

"I knew it was true." Hearing that statement made Sakura, Elena, and Chun-Li turn off their looks of shock and remained casual. "Well, since that's the case, are we going to customize your ninja gi to make it more like a wedding dress or will we just buy any old dress?"

"You're makin' it sound like buying a regular dress is a bunch of bullshit."

"It's not, really… but I'm just asking. Which would you prefer when it comes to a ninja themed wedding?"

"I announced to Tommy that I'm gonna make my old ninja dogi look like a wedding dress and that's final."

"Good. A good word of a warning, then…"

"What?"

"Get rid of those revealing gaps in the pants in order to make the dress decent."

"Okay. I was planning on that, ya know. Don't rush my ideas."

"Sorry."

"Hey, uh… Ibuki?" Sakura came in. "Who's gonna be your Maid of Honor?"

"…oh… crap… tough choice there. I gotta call Tommy and ask him who's who, so I won't be an idiot." As soon as Ibuki stopped at a traffic light, she pressed a call button on her steering wheel and this fascinated the four ladies as she continued. "Call Tommy Jaymes Jones."

"Calling Tommy Jaymes Jones…" The male computer voice replied before the sound of quick dialing was heard and then, the other line ringing all over the vehicle. This was really astonishing the other ladies as they watched technology at its finest. After about three rings, the sound of the phone picking up was heard and Ibuki smiled.

"Hey, baby." She greeted on her small headset.

"Hey, Ibuki-baby." Tommy greeted in return, having his voice going all through the car's speakers. "What's up? Did you choose your Maid of Honor yet?"

"That's why I called you. Did you already give a position to Kendra?"

"Yeah. We just made her the flower girl."

"Damn! Well, uh… oooh! I just got it! I can make Sarai my Maid of Honor!"

"That could've been an easy decision for you, baby. You didn't have to call me."

"I know… I just wanna hear your voice on my car's speakers."

"Heh, heh… cute as ever, aren't you?"

"You know I love you."

"And I love you, too, baby girl. Take your time with that dress, a'ight?"

"I will. I'll see ya later, baby. Bye."

"Bye." After that was said, the phone click off and the radio was back on, leaving the ladies silent with shock. Ibuki loved the stunned silence she was hearing as she spoke.

"Isn't technology great?"

"Uh…" Sakura muttered. Karin nodded with Chun-Li as Elena spoke.

"It sure is." She replied. Ibuki kept her smile on her face as her GPS just announced that she was five miles away from the bridal shop.

"Good." Ibuki started. "We're almost there. Karin, you're payin' for everything, right?"

"Of course." Karin replied. "I'll even buy the perfect dresses for the other five bridesmaids, who will be…?"

"You four and Makoto."

"Makoto?" All four of the ladies asked together.

"Uh… yeah! What? Is this because I kissed her earlier?"

"Yeah!"

"We're just friends, okay? Besides, remember? We set aside our differences!"

"I know, but still…" Sakura complained. "Besides, wouldn't she look crazy in a dress?"

"No! Now, don't you all go all off on her! She is the fifth and final bridesmaid and that's final, since I'm the bride!"

"Humph! Well, she better not screw up, then."

"Ugh!"

Meanwhile, at the Glade of Ninjas…

"YAY!" Sarai cheered as she just heard that Ibuki picked her at her Maid of Honor from Tommy, who was nearly tackled in her loving embrace. "I knew she would pick me! She won't regret it, neither!"

"I knew you would be extremely ecstatic about it." Tommy nonchalantly quoted in a deepened tone of his sexy voice. "I have no idea who she chose for the other five bridesmaids, but I'm sure she made some good choices."

"I'll bet she chose Makoto as one of them."

"Huh! You think?"

"Duh! I know Ibuki too well. She's bound to pick someone who made her feel humiliated in the past."

"Go figure." After that was said, Enjo, Sanjou, Yuta, and Raion approached the two with smiles, having Enjo's hidden as usual. "Hey, ya'll. Did you hear? Ibuki and I are gettin' married in three days."

"…whoa." Yuta muttered with shock. Raion nodded with a smile that said 'Good Job' as he approached the gentle giant and gave him a congratulatory pat on the back.

"Glad to see you two moving on." He commented. Tommy's handsome smile never erased itself as he spoke. "Are we invited?"

"Of course…" Tommy replied.

"…and Ibuki picked me as the Maid of Honor!" Sarai announced with pride. "That's awesome!"

"…heh, heh… yeah, and uh… they decided to let the wedding have a ninja taste to it, since Ibuki's gonna get most of the attention for bein' a trooper towards us."

"That's an honorable thing you do, young Tommy." Sanjou commented. "Where will it be located?"

"In the huge backyard at the Street Fighter place. That way, the other Street Fighters are invited fo' sho."

"Excellent."

"The other reason why I'm here is because I wanted to make sure that Master Enjo would be honored to marry us… ya know… be the 'preacher'."

"Me?" Enjo asked with surprise. "Marry both of you? That will truly be an honor… and I can sense the reason why."

"Enlighten me."

"You all know that we, at the Glade, have been raising Ibuki since she was no bigger than a loaf of bread, right?"

"Yeah." Yuta replied.

"Well, as a part of such a group, it'll be like a reward for being so generous, despite our violent ways of the ninja. Ibuki was raised to be a peaceful kunoichi and that's exactly how she turned out. I'm proud of myself for that and I do deserve to marry the both of you."

"There ya go, Master." Tommy congratulated as he gave the elder master a handshake. "I knew I didn't have to explain."

"Thank you. Now, since this is a ninja themed wedding, do we have to-?"

"Naw, you can stay in your ninja outfits if ya want. It won't hurt ya'll."

"Good. We'll see you in three days then."

Meanwhile, at Vysini's Bridal Shop…

"Ahhhh, ladies!" Greeted the owner of the place, Vysini Kaverdale. He was a Caucasian American in his mid-thirties and even had the voice of the typical man of that age. "Welcome to Vysini's. How can I help you?"

"You should know who we are." Chun-Li stated as her and the rest of the women approached the front counter. Vysini adjusted his glasses for a brief moment before he widened his brown eyes in realization.

"OH! The ladies of Street Fighter… well… some of them, at least. You reserved your payments for…"

"Me." Ibuki finished. "I want my old ninja outfit to be transformed into a wedding dress somehow. Think you can do it?"

"Nothing's impossible for Vysini! Do you have it with you?"

"Yeah. Hang on a sec…" Ibuki took off her backpack and opened it up to pull out her old brown ninja dogi, which was seperated. She carried each article on the same arm and handed it over to the eager owner. "I already got it seperated to save you time."

"Splendid. When is your wedding?"

"In three days. Can you have it ready in two?"

"Certaintly. This classic outfit will be a cinch to customize. You can count on me, Ibuki."

"Thanks. Call me if anything happens during the process."

"Oh, yes! Of course I will. I already have your number…"

"…and here is the payment for the project." Karin came in with a check worth 200,000 dollars. "The finished product better be worth all this money."

"You can bet your whole Zaibatsu on it! I guarantee it! After it's finished, you won't even know that it used to be a ninja gi."

"Sweet." Ibuki muttered with an excited look on her face.

And the next two days seemed to go by so quickly for the future newlyweds. During those days, Tommy's family were somehow preparing the wedding's atmosphere in secrecy… thanks to Karmayah's impressive capentry skills he aquired from his move years ago. None of the other Street Fighters never knew what was going on in their backyard and it was just getting them all curious.

"C'mon, girls!" Yun begged to Chun-Li, Sakura, Elena, and Karin. "What's the big surprise behind that door, huh?"

"We promised Ibuki we would never tell." Elena quoted. "You'll find out by tomorrow afternoon."

"Humph! We better!"

"Now, now, Yun." Yang came in. "Let's be reasonable here. Apparently, this is a good surprise headed our direction, right?"

"Yes." Karin replied. "You will be overjoyed once you see what we have set up back there. You sneaky boys can't peep in there neither."

"And why not?" Dan asked with annoyance as he approached the back door, only to be startled by a mighty roar from Velvet, who just came from Dan's right side, carrying a extremely huge cut of T-bone steak he happened to cook himself somehow. "AAAAAAHHHHH! TIIIIIIGERRRRR!"

"Calm down, Dan." Sakura muttered. "That's just one of Tommy's animals, Velvet. He's not gonna hurt you. He'll just scare you as a warning. He's guarding the backyard from us until they're ready. If you don't wanna get bitten, though, I… strongly suggest you step back. He'll only attack on instinct."

"Yikes." Dan scurried back to the others and hid under a small table, like the silly coward he is. This made Yang shake his head with humor.

"Top notch security, if you ask me." He quoted. "What's with his prosthetic paw, though, if I may ask?"

"I remember Ibuki telling me that his real paw was snagged by a steel trap that Uncle G set up, just to get Tommy's mom in jail for animal cruelty. It was so badly ripped off that they had to decapitate it and replace it. He seems fine with it now."

"Oh, my!" Cammy gasped. "Poor tiger. I'm glad he's pulling through with that paw… and I'm extremely happy for cute little Don-chan. His full recovery was a joy to witness."

"Indeed." Gill agreed shockingly. "I felt sorry for him when I heard he was shot. I thought he might've died."

"We all did." Ryu admitted. "Is he part of the surprise?"

"Yep!" Sakura replied. "But again, we're not telling! Just cooperate with Velvet until tomorrow afternoon. Trust me! You all will not regret it!"

Outside in the backyard…

"Steady now, Pawlo!" Khovie commanded to her elder brother, who was slowly placing down the white platform for the altar with the stairs attached with a crane. Ibuki and Tommy were sitting in folding lawn chairs next to the backyard door and smiled at how well the setup was going. Don and Snow were sitting like good pets in front of them, sharing a bowl of grilled shrimp as they watched.

"Tomorrow's our big day, baby." Tommy started the conversation after a good five minutes of silence. Ibuki giggled.

"Yeah, I know. I'm so excited!" Ibuki agreed. "Did you even think you would get this far?"

"Not really. I had high hopes for Tyviiana, but her death came faster than our first kiss. I'll never forgive Chrome fo' what he did to her."

"Chrome?"

"That's the name of Tyviiana's ex."

"Oh… why in the hell…?"

"His parents gave him that name because he came out lookin' so shiny when he was born."

"…pfff! Weird."

"Tell me about it."

"Yo! Tommy!" Jeraymé called out from the same crane Pawlo was in. "Where's that stuffed rabbit you got?"

"It's in my duffle bag over next to Aunt Khovie! She won't let it out until all of this is finished! A'ight?"

"Oh, a'ight! Just wonderin', man!"

"He's just as excited at you are, Ibuki-baby."

"No kiddin'." Ibuki agreed.

"How's the dress?"

"It's still under development. Vysini promised me he'll be done by sometime today. I can't wait to see it."

"Me, neither. I've got cute lil' bowties for Don and Snow. That's all they need really."

"What about Velvet?"

"He's getting a bowtie on his front left ankle. I couldn't get those people to make one big enough for his huge neck. They tried, but it never worked out. So they just had to settle for a small one on his ankle."

"Well… as long as it's somewhere." Right after that was said, Ibuki's cell phone rang. She picked it up and saw that it was Vysini, which made her smile before she answered it. "Hey, Vysini. What's up?"

"Your dress is ready." He announced with a proud heart. Ibuki felt his pride and nodded with satisfaction. "You may pick it up anytime now."

"Good, I'll be right there. Hang tight." Ibuki hung up after that and gave her future husband a quick kiss on his left cheek before she continued. "I gotta pick up my dress now. Make sure nobody peeps in while I'm gone, okay?"

"That's Velvet's job, but a'ight, baby girl. You go on ahead and pick up your sexy dress."

"Tee, hee… now, now, Tommy." She paused as she got on her toes, trying to get closer enough to Tommy's face to playfully wave her pointer finger at him. "You have no idea what it looks like… yet."

"I know, but either way, you'll look so damn sexy in it. I'll feel bad about rippin' it off tomorrow night."

"Oh, you sly dog. Well, I'll make sure you feel good about it afterwards."

"Nice."

Thirty minutes later, back at the bridal shop…

Ibuki just got inside and was silently greeted by all of Vysini's workers just standing up from their chairs. She started feeling like a true queen at this point as she continued on her way towards the owner, who greeted her with a smile before shaking her hand in welcome.

"Glad you could make it back so valiantly." He started politely. "Are you ready to see your wedding dress?"

"Totally!" Ibuki replied, trying so hard to maintain her excitement.

"Follow me." Vysini carefully blindfolded the young kunoichi before he held her left hand and guided her inside the main hall, making the rest of the workers follow them with great anticipation. "Once I take this blindfold off, your tears will never stop leaking."

"Will they be tears of sadness or joy?"

"Joy."

"They better be."

"Okay. Ready, everyone?"

"Yes, sir!" All of the workers replied together.

"Ibuki, are you?"

"Let me have it!" Ibuki cheered before Vysini removed the blindfold and what the young kunoichi saw before her… made her cry instantly. They kept the brown color of her original ninja outfit, but they completely made it into a one-piece sleeveless dress, minus the revealing gaps where the pants used to be. "Oh… my God… it's… it's beautiful. Just like I wanted it."

"We even wanted you to keep those small wraps that you wear on your arms along with the fingerless gloves and everything. And look!" One of the female workers held up a veil that vaguely looked like her old headwrap. "We even made your trusty headwrap to look a lot more like a veil. Is this everything you wanted?"

"…of course. Tommy _will _feel bad to tear this in half tomorrow night. I can't wait until he sees me in this."

"I'm sure he's anxious as well." A familiar gruff male voice agreed. Ibuki turned around fast to see her parents gently push themselves through the crowd of workers with smiles.

"Mom! Dad! You both were here at the same time?"

"Yes, honey." Dyvokhan continued. "You know we have to see your dress before he does… and it is beautiful. You'll look like an angel of ninjas."

"Which doesn't sound right somehow."

"Of course, it doesn't." Zazari agreed. "But, it's the best way to say it. Would you feel good about having your father walk you down the aisle?"

"Uh, duh!"

"Good." Dyvokhan replied. "By the way, you should see Tommy's customized tuxedo. Karin paid for that as well and it's worth every small portion of the 500,000 dollars."

"Whoa… Don't tell me about it. I wanna be just as surprised as he will be."

"Good idea." Zazari agreed. "Shall I store your dress until tomorrow afternoon?"

"Yeah. Store it in my old room at the Glade. I'm sure Sarai and the others won't mind watching it until then."

"Excellent. In the meantime, you can head back over to Tommy at the Street Fighter place. We'll take good care of your dress, sweetie."

"Thanks, Mommy and Daddy. See ya!" After that, Ibuki dashed back out to her bright green Fiesta and drove back to the Street Fighter Headquarters with a smile that just won't go away. Dyvokhan and Zazari, who was holding the dress carefully, shook their heads with humor when their daughter was gone.

"I know she's a bit too old to say that, but she's just so adorable, dear. I'm so glad she's moving on." Zazari continued.

"Me, too." Dyvokhan agreed as he nodded. "Walking her down the aisle will give me a good feeling all over… even with a huge tiger and a giant lizard holding that long trail of silk back there."

"You're fearless of those animals?"

"Of course. I've been around them before. It'll be beautiful. I'm actually excited as well. I'm… just not gonna show it. It'll embarrass me."

"Awww, show some gumption, honey! You're a man, for crying out loud!"

"Oh, hush."

Back at the backyard of the Street Fighter HQ…

The altar was nearly complete with many small trees and bushes on top of the platform, giving a ninja feel to it. Tommy sat back in his lawn chair with a look that said he was chillin' like ice water. Snow and Don just fell asleep for their small nap right when Ibuki just came back and sat in her seat. She cooed at the look of the altar before she spoke.

"Ooooooh, nice." She commented as she took her can of her favorite energy drink and took a big swig. "It's looking good, Tommy. Your aunt's awesome!"

"Yeah, thanks." Tommy agreed with pride. "She works her ass off when it comes to these things. She knows we won't need a rehearsal for this. Since it's gonna have a ninja theme, it's gotta be unexpected… like your neck breaker."

"Had to mention that, didn't you?"

"Hey! It's the truth… unless it's Ryu you're fightin'."

"Yeah, yeah… I get it. Tommy… got a good question for you." Ibuki looked up at her future husband with a sweet smile that made him return the favor on his handsome face.

"And I've got a good answer. Go ahead, Ibuki-baby."

"…about the whole having kids thing… will you be gentle to them?"

"Ooooh, good question."

"Yeah, because I've noticed that for the past few months since we've been together, you have never interacted with any kids. We've been around them, but you haven't touched one. I'm just wondering if you might be at risk of… breaking them…"

"Ibuki, listen…" Tommy turned his chair completely towards her and held her slender hands gently. "…they don't call me a gentle giant fo' nothin'. I'm as light-fingered as a thief and I would never hurt any children… especially babies. They may be tiny compared to me, but they will be handled with all the love I can give and it'll be a gentle touch. If I have never harmed you, due to my strength, then I would never harm a child. I'm confident about it."

"You sound confident. I've trusted you before… and it's never failed so far."

"It's you I'm concerned about when it comes to kids… ya know… being a ninja and all…"

"I already told you. I'm only using my ninja skills for protection and teaching to others. Nothing more and nothing less. I'm just as gentle as you are."

"Good, but um… ya know… you do get a lil' rough in some cases…"

"Tee, hee! Don't make me scream your name now. I might do that in the shower later since you brought that up."

"And I'll be sure to listen."

"Oh, you bad-ass bastard." After that was said, Ibuki stood up before she sat down in Tommy's lap with her smooth legs wrapped around his waist, due to the fact that she was wearing brown jean shorts… VERY short shorts… with a blue tank top. Tommy admired her for about a minute before they both leaned in for their most delicious kiss in their lives. Karthaji and Johnnie were among the whole family setting up the wedding's atmosphere and they saw the two kissing in the distance, having Johnnie shake his head with humor.

"They just can't wait until the weddin' to kiss like that, huh?" Johnnie asked nonchalantly. Karthaji nodded in agreement.

"Apparently not." She agreed. "But… that's good, though… because they'll kiss even deeper tomorrow. Love… does not… have a schedule."

To be continued…


	21. The Coolest Wedding in the World

Chapter 21: The Coolest Wedding in the World

"Goddamn." Ibuki started as she woke up slowly with a smile. She and Tommy were back in Sasha's old hotel room and the sun added more joy to her smile as she looked out at the beautiful sunrise. Ibuki giggled after her last statement and sat up with a stretch as she continued. "Today's the big one… and I'm just calm on the inside for some odd reason. Tommy and I are about to become husband and wife in a few hours from now. Life can go by so quickly for most of us these days, I tell ya. Phew!"

The young kunoichi master's smile never left her cute lips as she looked down at the sleeping gentle giant. She rarely gets up first, just to see his face, and she was just happy to see how peaceful he looked when he was fast asleep. She gently stroked his soft face for about twenty seconds before she slowly leaned towards him for a sweet kiss on that same left cheek. This never woke up the linebacker as he just moaned in his sleep and smiled before he turned his body towards her unconsciously. This made Ibuki giggle one more time before she stood up and headed for the bathroom for a quick shower, proud to finally get this far in her, what used to be, imprisoned life.

Meanwhile, at the Glade of Ninjas in Ibuki's old room…

Dyvokhan was the first to wake up as the sun's rays broke through his eyelids. He looked around the almost vacant room and sighed inside, realizing that today… his only daughter won't be needing this room anymore after this day is over. He and his wife will miss the Glade as much as Ibuki will since she's been raised there for her whole life. He could just see how sad she will get as he looked at her beautiful ninja-sized wedding dress. She didn't feel so bad leaving the Street Fighters, but he can just imagine how miserable she'll be when she has to say goodbye to the Glade. Having that thought in mind slowly started to make him cry silently with tears streaming down his face. Zazari sensed his grief as she slowly sat up with a small stretch and looked at her husband with concern.

"Dyvokhan, are you okay, honey?" She asked him, placing a gentle hand on his right shoulder.

"I'm… I'm fine, Zazari." Dyvokhan replied between small sniffles as he wiped his tears with a spare towel he just happened to find. "I… was just thinking about how saddened Ibuki will be to say goodbye to these nice people who raised her since her birth."

"Awww, honey. It will be the hardest goodbye she will ever have to face. I'm sure she'll still remember them forever."

"I know that much, yes. At least she'll keep Don-chan."

"True."

"Maybe a small speech, expressing her feelings, should be the way to go. She could do it during the reception."

"I think that's an excellent idea, sweetheart! Let's contact her later and see what she thinks."

Back at Sasha's old hotel room…

Tommy was just getting Snow and Don's adorable bowties on their necks while Ibuki secretly watched him from the bathroom shortly after she finished her shower. She just loved how careful he can be, even with his huge hands. Her excitement over the wedding couldn't be held in any longer and she literally broke a sweat from where she stood as she struggled to hide it. It didn't bother her too much as she waited for her fiancé to leave, so she could get to her dress with her parents.

In the room with Tommy…

He just finished placing on Snow's bowtie and gave him a gentle pat on the head to tell him he was finished. Tommy, dressed in a tank top and dress pants with expensive black and white sneakers, slowly stood up and went to his closet to get his customized tux. Ibuki quickly closed the bathroom door as soon as he grabbed hold of the closet knob. She wanted to wait until the wedding to see his suit and anticipation took over her like a demon as she just walked over to her hanging white tank top and slipped it on as she spoke to herself.

"Whoa!" She started as she just got her tank top adjusted. "I don't wanna see that suit yet. How much did that cost him for Karin to pay? 500,000 dollars? Damn! It better be worth it!"

Outside the bathroom…

Tommy still kept quiet as he made a sly side-glance towards the closed bathroom door, overhearing Ibuki's comments. He took a good look at his tux, which was simply a black football jersey turned into a tuxedo jacket, due to his football team number, which was 77, imprinted on the clothes in the front and back with his full name squeezed in the back: 'Tommy Jaymes Totanuki'. He felt proud to see that name on the back, showing a smile that was just as confident as he spoke to himself.

"Ibuki's gonna regret those words once she does see this suit." He started as he unbuttoned the jersey jacket and placed it on, fitting him perfectly with a bit of a loose fit to it. "I may be part samurai, but havin' this suit ain't gonna change nothin'." He paused as he found his black and white diamond framed watch with gold hands and numbers before he placed it on. "I only hope she can maintain her excitement when she gets walked down the aisle. As fo' me, bein' da man, I'm gonna keep my cool." Shortly after that was said, his cell phone rang and he saw that it was Bobby before he picked it up. "Yo, Bobby! What's up, man?"

"The whole wedding set is up and ready ta go, dude!" Bobby announced. "We just placed your little stuffed rabbit on the altar and now, we're ready fo' it."

"Awesome!"

"Hey, Tommy?"

"Yeah?"

"What's with the football jersey-lookin' suit anyway? Ain't this wedding a ninja themed one?"

"Yeah, but I'm the samurai, remember?"

"Yeah, but still… what the hell?"

"You'll see. Since I'm only half a samurai, I've got a good way of showin' it at the wedding."

"Oh, a'ight. I can't wait. What time will it start and who else will be invited?"

"Well, I can tell you that it'll start at 3 pm sharp, but invitations are only limited to the Street Fighters, the Glade, and the rest of my Dad's side of the family."

"Ah! Understandable, but uh… did I forget to mention that you do have Tyviiana's parents to invite, too?"

"They're still alive?"

"Yeah, man! Their daughter might have died, but her parents are still there… and her older brother and baby sister, too. They were all born with the same disease she had… her siblings, I mean."

"Huh! She never told me she had siblings! Thanks for the tip, Bobby. I'll invite them right now."

"Good. See ya at three, samurai warrior."

"A'ight. See ya." After that was said, Tommy hung up with a look of praise as he clasped his hands together in prayer. "Thank ya, thank ya, THANK YA, God! I'm glad she has a family. Maybe I'll see Tyviiana's face in one of her siblings when they get there. It'll be a blessin'!" Tommy whistled for Snow to follow him to his car while Don stayed in the room and waited for Ibuki to come out from the bathroom. As soon as the main door was shut, Ibuki, dressed in her tank top, jeans, and sneakers, came out of the bathroom with a smile of pure happiness, since she overheard every word of Tommy's conversation with Bobby.

"Awwww, Tyviiana's family will be there." Ibuki sighed as she went over to Don and kneeled down to check on him, making sure he was fully ready to be a ringbearer. "It'll be a joyous occasion to see them in the seats. Don-chan, aren't you excited about this? I mean, me getting married and all?"

"Yeah, sis." Don replied as he sat there like a good tanuki, allowing his older sister to adjust his bowtie. "Personally, I thought you were gonna spend the rest of your life searching for boy after boy nonstop."

"Hee, hee… well, I'll admit it. I thought so, too… but it's just… something about Tommy… he's a big dog, but he's so sweet, respectful, cute, and not to mention, a natural family man, which is what I love the most about him. He may be a 'Mama's boy', but in a good way. He loves his Mom with all of his heart and loves me just as much."

"Just like how you're 'Daddy's little girl' and how much you love your Dad."

"Yeah, exactly. I love my Mom, too, ya know."

"Yeah, true."

"Nervous about being the ringbearer, Don? Ya know I gotta ask ya that."

"And you're asking me as if you know I'm gonna screw up."

"Are you?"

"Well, no… I'm not gonna screw up nor am I nervous. I was born ready! I'll be careful. I promise."

"I hope so… because this is your only chance to shine."

"I know. I'll be fine. I'm wondering if you'll be fine."

"Yeah, of course. I'll have my Dad next to me walking down the aisle, ya know."

"That's right. Well… lucky you."

"Tee, hee… yeah. Lucky me…" Shortly after that was said, Ibuki's cell phone rang next to her on her right and she pressed the button on her headset to answer it. "Hello?"

"Ibuki, are you coming to put on your dress?" Zazari asked with excitement in her daughter's ear.

"Yeah, I'm coming. I just gotta finish adjusting Don's bowtie."

"Well, while you busy with that, your father wanted to know if you wouldn't mind if he wrote a speech for you… you know… for the reception."

"Depends on what the speech is gonna cover, Mom."

"Your feelings towards Tommy and how you would feel about leaving the Glade."

"…" Ibuki froze in the middle of adjusting for a moment to take in that last statement and showed a look of sadness, but never cried. Leaving the Glade wasn't going to be easy for her, since they've raised her for most of her life. They have done so much for her since she was a baby and she was ready to leave them forever. Just the thought of leaving them left a sour taste on her tongue as she softly smacked her lips for relief. "…mm! Wow… I… I can't imagine that being so hard, but it actually is, Ma. For some reason, I don't wanna leave the Glade. They've done so much for me, just to keep me alive. I mean, sure, the ninja training was road kill for me, but it was something I had to deal with while being raised in a place that most of the citizens in this city don't know about."

"So, will you be able to express it all in your own words?"

"…I have to. Reading it from a paper isn't gonna bring out the sorrow to the others."

"Good. I'm sure there won't be one dry eye in the place… giving the animals an exception."

"Tee, hee… yeah. So, don't let Daddy write it. I'll express it out of my head. Thanks for the idea, though."

"Anything for you, sweetheart."

"I'll be over there in a few. Hang tight." After that, she hung up the phone and saw how worried Don was. "What? How do you expect me to feel about leaving the Glade? Huh?"

"I'd thought you'd be happy about it." Don protested softly.

"Yeah, but… somehow, I'm not, Don! Okay? I just have to face the fact that… being raised by ninjas and being turned into one… was the best thing that's ever happened to me. Tommy said it best back in college. I remember it… word for word…'If the Geki hadn't found you, you wouldn't be sitting here next to me right now'… and he was soooooo true about it."

"Huh! I guess I'll admit it there. So, I guess it is safe to say that you are feeling a little bad about leaving the Glade."

"Exactly… and dude… I'm gonna struggle through my speech. I know I will."

"Aw, man…"

Hours later, at 2:30 pm at the Street Fighter Headquarters…

"WHAT?" All of the men of Street Fighter exclaimed after they finally heard what the big surprise was in the backyard. "IBUKI'S GETTING MARRIED?"

"Yep!" Sakura announced with pride, dressed in her brown bridesmaid dress. Same for Elena, Chun-Li, Karin, and Makoto, who had hers with sleeves. "That's why Elena, Karin, Chun-Li, Makoto, and I are dressed up like this. Tommy suggested that Master Enjo should be the 'preacher', Karmayah as his Best Man, and chose Ryu, Ken, Bobby, Yun, and Yang to be the Groomsmen. That's why you four are in some snazzy suits. Isn't it exciting?"

"Indeed." Ryu replied calmly as the other men calmed down, except Dan. He still kept a cheesy grin on his face. "That's what the big surprise was back there?"

"Yep! They've been setting up a ninja atomsphere for the wedding and it looks awesome! Every single one of you are invited, including you, Birdie."

"And I neva get invited ta nothin'." Birdie muttered with a small smile.

"Just behave, okay?" Karin commanded. "The rest of you, I know you'll be fine. Since the wedding is less than half an hour away, Tommy's making some final preparations. He just realized that his first girlfriend's family is still alive long after her passing and he just invited them at the very last moment. They should be on their way here with him right now."

"Awww, that'll be so sweet of him." Cammy commented. "Mind if I ask what happened to this first girlfriend of his?"

"You'll find out all that during a speech he just happened to write up prior to inviting Tyviiana's family."

"Tyviiana, huh? Beautiful name. I'll bet she was a nice girl."

"She was… and you'll definitely believe it once he starts it. And also, believe it or not… and Ibuki doesn't know this, but Don has a speech as well."

"Really?" Sean asked. Sarai just came in with the folded paper in her hand.

"Yeah!" She started. "And it's right here. It's more of a small story than a speech, but by the way it's written, it should be both. Ibuki will cry the most tears when she hears this. She has no idea I've been keeping this."

"In other words, the reception is gonna be a real crying ceremony with a happy taste to it."

"Exactly! At this rate, we might even flood the place with our tears."

"In your manner of speaking, I agree." Yang commented. "We'll be sure to have plenty of tissues then." After that was said, Karin's cell phone rang and she answered it.

"Hello?" She started.

"Karin, it's Ibuki." Ibuki started on the other line. "I'm at the Glade with my parents and I just got into my dress, ready to go. My parents are gonna drive me back over there in my Fiesta and I promise to be there by the time Sanjou says 'All rise for the arrival of the bride'."

"Excellent. We'll be ready shortly. I just need to hear word from Tommy and we'll be ready."

"Gotcha! Be sure to call me as soon as he gets there."

"Roger that." Karin hung up after that was said. "Ibuki's in her wedding dress and she's prepared to marry Tommy. We just need to hear that he's ready and we'll all be ready with him, giving Ibuki the signal. So, let's all be patient."

Meanwhile, at a peaceful suburban neighborhood called Midnight Coyote Estates right near the outskirts of Tokyo…

Tommy just drove through the main entrance of the neighborhood as he listened to his GPS navigate him towards Tyviiana's old house where her family still resides. As he was driving, he just felt a gentle touch of his first love in his heart as he was getting closer. He was just too overjoyed to hear about her family still mourning her death, but still keeping high hopes in their lives. Hopefully, they will be honored to be a part of a miracle wedding.

He smiled with confidence as he finally reached his destination and got out of his vehicle, taking a good look at the average Cape Cod home. It was in a rare main color of orange and the shutters were light brown with the front door in the same color, just as he remembered it. He remembered the last time he was here was during his freshman year when he was invited over to help Tyviiana with her Algebra homework along with joining her family for dinner afterwards. He was prepared for the reunion that was gonna be unlike any other to him as he made his way to the front door and rang the doorbell twice. He stood there for about twenty seconds before the door opened to reveal Tyviiana's father, Harthro. His skin was Caucasian with baby blue eyes and was absent of hair on his head, except his small brown beard. He was at a height of a good six feet and two inches and had a pretty decent muscular build for a father in his mid-fifties. He froze with shock as he saw Tommy for the first time in years before he gave the gentle giant a loving embrace in welcome.

"Hello dere, mate!" Harthro started with excitement in his think Austrailian accent with a half-deepened tone. "It's been a bloomin' many years since we last saw ya's. How have ya been, Tommy?"

"I've been good." Tommy replied, keeping his handsome, but sweet smile as the hug ended, having the gentle giant walk inside the beautiful white and brown colored home. "Are you all still coping with Tyviiana's loss?"

"Yeah, but we've found some ways to keep our tears off of it for a while. What brings ya here, mate?"

"Can… I see the rest of your family first?"

"Ah, yeah, mate. Of course! EVERYBODY! TOMMY'S HERE!"

Five minutes later, in the living room…

"It's so good ta see ya again, Tommy." Tyviiana's mother, LaTyBaka, started in a deep Austrailian-accented female voice. Her half-gray and half-brown hair was nearly down to her knees and her face glowed with beauty in the sunlight. She was sitting on the couch next to her husband, who was a good year older than her and only a couple of inches taller as well. "This is a surprise seeing you here, mate. Do ya still miss Tyviiana?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied as he was sitting in a lone chair right in front of the family, who were all sitting in the big couch. "I do still have that stuffed animal she gave me as an Easter gift. I'm never giving that up."

"Awww, that's good ta hear, mate. I supposed you haven't met her older brother, TyVySoko. He, ironically, makes a living preserving dead bodies, but still doesn't wanna leave us. He… has a violent fear of leaving his nest."

"Mm!" Tommy showed a look of concern as he took a good look at TyVySoko, who had the same disorder in the face as Tyviiana, due to the fact that his big baby blue eyes were a bit large for his short body at a height of three feet and seven inches. He even sported a medium length brown haired ponytail behind him and he was wearing nothing but white overall pants and brown combat boots. He had a pretty decent muscle tone for someone so short, but he never spoke as he just nodded in agreement with his mother. "Does this fear have a name?"

"Can't make heads or tails of it, mate, but regardless, he has this fear and we can't help him overcome it." Harthro started. "On da odder hand, we actually like him this way. This shows that he really cares about his family."

"How come he can't talk?"

"Years ago, his best friend got a lil' too cocky behind da wheel after he got drunk and smashed into a building head-on. Somehow, our son survived, but his friend didn't. The accident did damage his voice box, though, mate… so dey had to remove the damn thing for his sake."

"Awww, man. I'm so sorry to hear that, but listen, ya'll. The real reason why I'm here is because I wanna invite ya'll to my wedding. It's a last minute change I wanna add because I really respect you."

"Awww, we respect you, too, mate." LyTyBaka replied. "By da way, who's gettin' married wit ya?"

"Ibuki."

"WHAT?" The two parents exclaimed together by accident, having their son widen his eyes in the same amount of shock. Tommy chuckled with confidence.

"Heh, heh… to make a long story short, I ran into her by accident and the rest is history."

"Well, crikey!" Harthro exclaimed. "What a huge gain you've got! I haven't seen her since Third Strike! How has she been?"

"She's been good… except she's been raped during her freshman year in Sarusuberi."

"Yikes. Poor girl! Is she okay, mate?"

"Yeah, she a'ight, but… what's that now?" Tommy paused as he just noticed a small pink bundle in LyTyBaka's arms. She noticed his stare as she slowly peeled off some of the blanket to reveal the most adorable baby girl the linebacker has ever seen. This made him gasp hard, seeing an exact replica of Tyviiana… from her big hazel brown eyes, to her bright smooth baby soft skin, to her short brown baby hair, and even down to her cute toothless smile. It was like Tyviiana was reincarnated into a baby. "Is… is that…?"

"This is our newest edition to da Kwason family: Tyviiana Jennifer Kwason, II." LyTyBaka announced, looking down at her smiling baby girl.

"Tyviiana, II?" Tommy repeated as he just admired the grinning baby girl before him, sending a smile right back at her. "It's… like she's a twin… an exact likeness to Tyviiana."

"That's what we said when she was just born. She's a good seven weeks old now and tiny as she can be. She's no bigger than a bed pillow. Wanna hold 'er?"

"Can I?" Tommy slowly reached out to the baby and LyTyBaka gently handed over Tyviiana, II to him, seeing that she was little tiny in his huge hand. He could carry her whole body in that one hand as he held her close. She giggled in her cutest as she tried to play with Tommy's long hair, but he moved it out of the way just in time and just held her close for protection and warmth for about thirty seconds before she just started babbling her baby talk at him, making his warm feeling of love from a baby for the first time hit him harder than a tackle on the football field. He started to cry the happiest tears in his life as he continued to hold the baby. "Awww… she's… she's just so adorable… and beautiful, too. Just looking at her shows me Tyviiana herself. I love her already."

"And it looks like she loves you, too, mate." Harthro agreed. "Now, how 'bout we get to dis wedding, eh, mate? I've got her carseat right here fo' yo' car."

"A'ight." Tommy gave the small baby one more big gentle hug before he handed her back to her Mother. "The sooner we get back, the sooner my life can be complete."

Minutes later, back at the Street Fighter Headquarters at 2:45 pm in the backyard…

Every single brown folding chair was occupied with all of Tommy's family in one section in the front left side and his finely dressed football team behind them, including Coach Broderick. On the right side in the very front were Raion, Genda, Yuta, all one hundred of Ibuki's tanuki buddies sitting behind them, and Tyviiana's family just arrived and sat right behind the tanuki tribe. Before them was an exact replica of the Glade's beautiful surroundings of a forest decorated on the altar with Master Enjo standing right in the middle of it, ready to marry his best student to the man she loves so much.

Inside the place in the kitchen…

Tommy inspected the atmosphere from a window with Ryu, who nodded with a smile.

"There's one more good vacant section left for the rest of the Street Fighters right behind Tyviiana's family." The legendary warrior pointed out. "It looks beautiful out there. You say your aunt planned this alone?"

"Naw." Tommy replied. "All of the rest of my Dad's side did the thinkin' with her. I was shocked to hear it, though."

"I would be as well. Let's hope this wedding will go by smoothly."

"It will… I know it will."

"Tommy!" Karin called out right after that was said as she placed away her cell phone. The linebacker and Ryu turned around towards her at full attention as she continued. "I just called Ibuki and she is on her way."

"YES!" Tommy paused as he turned back towards the wedding scene and said with a handsome smile: "Let's do this shit."

The first fifteen minutes of the wedding went by smoothly. Everybody awed at how perfect everyone was standing on the altar, especially the four male Street Fighters: Ryu, Yang, Ken, and Yun… without his favorite hat for once. Tommy stood next to Enjo with pride with his hands clasped together at his waist, ready to see his wife. Sanjou stood across from Tommy and saw how anxious the gentle giant was.

"Tommy?" He whispered his softest, so only Tommy could hear. "You're not nervous, are you?"

"A little." Tommy replied in a just as quiet voice. "But, either way, I'm ready. I just hope she won't trip over this suit."

"And I hope you don't do the same over Ibuki's dress."

"Now, _that _I am definitely hoping for."

"Sanjou." Dyvokhan's voice came in Sanjou's hidden earpiece. "We're here with Ibuki. Cue us in."

"Alright." Sanjou whispered even softer before he spoke out loudly. "Everyone please rise for the arrival of the bride!"

As soon as the 'Hear Comes the Bride' tune started playing from Bobby's laptop in a combination of traditional and electronic piano, everyone who were sitting stood up and turned towards the backyard door, anxious to see Ibuki as a bride. After about ten seconds after standing, the door slowly opened to reveal Dyvokhan dressed in his best brown tuxedo walking arm in arm with his daughter, who had her signature ponytail fused into one long strand for once. She was truly stunning in her customized dress and Tommy's heart literally went to his throat, even though he remained calm and perfectly still, as he watched his wife walk down the aisle. Behind her, carrying her long silky trail was Snow, who walked on his hind legs like a human, while Velvet was next to him, gently carrying the delicate fabric in his mouth.

As Ibuki was walking down the aisle with her father, she took a good look at Tommy's football jersey tux beyond her veil. She slightly shook her head with humor with an adorable smile as she spoke in her head.

_I should've known. _Her cute voice started in her head. _Being a football player and not to mention a good man, I would expect something like that. He's so cute in it, though. I wonder what he thinks of my dress. He did say it was sexy already, so that was already taken care of… but I bet he has more to say. _

In Tommy's point of view, his heart was still in his throat as he took a good look at Ibuki's ninjasized wedding dress. It was like he was seeing her traditional ninja dogi, but the pants were fused together without those revealing gaps he loved so much.

_Holy shit! _Tommy's voice started in his head. _I was right when I said the dress was gonna be sexy. I can tell by that smile that she's trippin' over my suit, just as I expected. This is indeed a cool weddin'. _

As the walk down the aisle continued, the Street Fighters were just wide eyed and speechless at the style of Ibuki's dress. Same went for her tanuki friends, Don, Yuta, Genda, Raion, and Sarai, who stood with the other bridesmaids. Karmayah stood closest to Tommy, next to Sanjou with the groomsmen and smiled with passion.

"Beautiful. Just beautiful." The giant albino brother of Kendra whispered to himself.

Zazari admired the dress from where she sat, next to Raion on his left, as soon as Ibuki and her father just passed her and Dyvokhan allowed his daughter to carefully walk up the stairs in her three inch heels. Dyvokhan sat down next to his wife afterwards and was happy to see his wife smile.

"That is a pretty dress." Zazari whispered. "How could it take only two days to make it?"

"Miracles, Zazari." Dyvokhan replied with happiness in his gruff voice, making his wife nod in agreement.

Up on the altar…

Ibuki just faced her husband and looked up at him with her cutest smile to date, making Tommy smile right back in his signature sexy style, making her heart go crazy in her chest. Enjo slipped off his half mask as he started the ceremony.

"We are gathered here in Holy Matrimony…" He started. "…to unite these once fragile hearts into one strong heart than can withstand any obsticle life may bring. Tommy, as a Samurai with a heart of gold, you may now express your vows to your wife."

Tommy remained silent for a moment as he pulled out his legendary sword that was given to him by his Mother before he gently settled it down on the floor between the two. As soon as he stood back up, he spoke without never letting his bright green eyes turn away from Ibuki's brown ones.

"Ibuki-chan…" He started as he gently held one slender fingerless gloved hand. "…before I met you, I lived the life of a punk. Having two girlfriends before me never seemed to make much of a difference, but ever since I accidently ran into you five months ago, I knew somehow that you would drastically change my life inside and out. Many girls would take me as any old heartthrob, but you took me as your soulmate. Our first kiss was a symbol of our relationship becoming as high as the very top of Mount Everest. From then until this day, you have always been so loving… so caring… so respectful… and always kept yourself as adorable as you could on the side. Having you as a ninja doesn't matter to me. Nor does what you wear, what you eat, how fast you eat, or what pet you have. All that matters from you, Ibuki, is that you love me with all of your heart. No woman has loved me like you do… no other woman will ever do what you do… never. I love you, Ibuki-chan."

"Awwww, strong words from such a strong man." Enjo commented with a peaceful smile. "Ibuki, it is now your turn."

Ibuki kept quiet as she carefully pulled her hidden set of three kunai knives before she gently placed them on the floor on top of Tommy's stainless steel katana blade. After she did so, she carefully took a good two steps forward and stood on top of the weapons, making her slightly taller as she got closer to her man with all her love before she finally spoke.

"Tommy-chan…" Ibuki started. "…not only did I change your life, but you definitely changed mine. When you ran into me, I knew somehow that you would be the one for me. I've been on more dates than you, but they have all made me paranoid after I was raped. It's not like me to be paranoid, but I just couldn't help it. When you came along, you seemed different… and you were. You're the biggest man I've seen, but yet… you are as sweet and gentle as a puppy. Most men these days aren't like you and there can never be one. We've been through so many hardships and victories together and this has got to be the biggest victory we have ever shared. It'll become even bigger in the many years to come. I love you, Tommy-chan."

"Well…" Enjo started. "…with words like that coming from both of them, there is nothing more to say. Tommy, you may kiss your bride."

Ibuki remained on top of the weapons as Tommy slowly peeled back her lacy veil from her face and actually picked her up from under her arms and engulfed her into his most passionate kiss in his entire life, sending Ibuki's legs to automatically wrap around his waist as a response along with a lustful moan emitting from her throat within the kiss. This sent the entire crowd cheering at their loudest, having the tanukis join in by their loud squealing cheers. Same went for Velvet as he just joined in with a mighty roar. This lasted for the next five minutes until Tommy slowly broke the kiss and just looked as deeply into Ibuki's glossy brown eyes as he could, making her stare into his neon green eyes just as deep.

"We did it, baby." Tommy whispered, despite the cheering. Ibuki managed to hear him as she smiled.

"We sure did." She agreed playfully. "Is your life puzzle solved now?"

"The last piece just got placed… and it is done, Ibuki-baby. I can finally live my life with you without wondering 'what if' anymore."

"Good."

"Tommy, Ibuki… congratulations." Sanjou approached them right when Ibuki was placed back on her feet and she stepped off the weapons. "I couldn't be any happier than I already am right now and Ibuki…" Sanjou embraced his best student with tears emitting from under his glasses. "…may the Glade wish you a peaceful journey ahead."

"Thank you so much, Master Sanjou."

"No… thank _you, _Master Ibuki." After that was said, he slowly released the hug, took a couple of steps back, and got to his knees before he bowed down before his new master. Ibuki looked down at him with confusion for a moment before she looked around the altar first and saw that Enjo has just bowed down in the same way towards her. Same went for the five Street Fighter bridesmaids, Sarai, the four Street Fighter groomsmen, Bobby, Don, Karmayah, Kendra, Velvet, and was shocked to see Tommy just bow down to her. She then looked out towards the audience and saw every single head bowed down before her, including her tanuki friends. She looked all over for the next two minutes with a smile of appreciation before she slowly started crying with pure delight. After her first tear landed on the floor, she looked over at the white stuffed rabbit behind her and picked it up before she cuddled it close to her face for comfort. She felt Tyviiana's honor escape from the stuffed animal and giggled.

"Thanks, Tyviiana." She whispered to the stuffed animal. After that was said, Ibuki gently placed the rabbit back down and saw that everybody was just rising their heads up again, having Tommy embrace her from behind as Enjo spoke.

"We, Sanjou and I, shall never be called _your _masters." Enjo announced. "From now on, you are _our _master. You've taught us so much throughout your life and I'm sure you will teach us so much more in the upcoming years."

"I will be honored by that." Ibuki replied with a smile as she hugged her adoptive father with all her love for about a minute before she walked back into Tommy's strong protective arms.

"HEY!" Sean came in from the distance, making everyone give him his undivided attention. "Aren't we supposed to be celebratin' at the reception? I am soooo ready to party!"

"HA! Sean read my mind." Ibuki agreed softly.

A hour later, in the Glade's meeting hall…

The reception was already under way. All of the ladies were back in their casual outfits, having Makoto dressed in her school uniform this time while Ibuki still rocked her army green tank top and matching low rider jeans with matching sneakers. Bobby was the appointed DJ, playing the best music Street Fighter had to offer in the background. Right now, it was playing Dee Jay's theme from _Super Street Fighter IV. _Ibuki was partially dancing to the upbeat music as she approached the other four bridesmaids and just joined in as she took her seat between Makoto and Sakura.

"Hey, girls." Ibuki greeted.

"Ibuki!" Sakura exclaimed as she hugged the young kunoichi master, since she was sitting right next to her on her left. "Congrats, girl! You're Tommy's wife now! How does it feel?"

"It feels totally awesome! I gotta admit, though… I was a bit nervous about it."

"You were fantastic." Chun-Li commented. "You were right about him being so gentle, which comes to my question. How can he be just oh-so-calm, despite his huge size and height compared to you?"

"He's not your stereotypical 'Mama's boy'. That's why."

"Enough said."

"Is that why he had such a hard time breaking up with Sasha?" Karin dared to ask. Ibuki pulled out a can of Energeager and popped it open as she continued to listen. "Because Tommy respects women, no matter what the damages they have caused him?"

"Exactly." Ibuki replied before she took a quick swig of her Black Cherry flavored energy drink. "Not only did his own Mother give him that inspirational life lesson, Tyviiana helped her out. She treated him like a prince before she was killed by her ex, Chrome."

"Chrome?" All five of the ladies asked together. Ibuki shook her head with dismay before she took another quick sip of her drink.

"Yeah, I know. That's what I said when Tommy first told me about it. He told me that Tyviiana's ex was named Chrome because of how shiny he was when he was born. Sounds a bit freaky, but at this point, I don't give a shit."

"Same here." Makoto agreed. "Is that why he wasn't invited to the wedding?"

"Uh… yeah. He was the male version of Sasha. Why would we invite his dumb ass?"

"Because he made up and apologized." Tommy came in from behind his wife, who turned around fast to see her gentle husband standing next to an African American man who was a year older than Tommy, but only a couple of inches shorter. He had a thin afro, hazel brown eyes, and a muscular build that was nearly as impressive as Tommy's, wearing a white t-shirt with baggy blue jeans and white sneakers. Tommy still wore his football jersey style suit, except it was unbuttoned, revealing his white tank top, and replaced the dress pants with black baggy jeans. Ibuki stood up and faced the two men with a look of concern as Tommy continued. "Ibuki, this is Chrome Fraker, Tyviiana's ex."

"I can see that, Tommy. What the hell is he doing here?"

"Don't get all hot under your tank top, baby. Like I said, he apologized for what he did to Tyviiana. He was forced to kill her by his Dad."

"What?"

"Yeah, it's true, cutie." Chrome started in a deep Southern male voice. "Personally, my pops ain't like 'er one bit… all because of her big cute eyes. I broke up wit 'er peacefully and I thought dat would be enough."

"Well, apparently, it wasn't. Go on."

"So, when I heard that she was datin' Tommy, I just simply let her go, but when I told my Dad, he took it a lil' too seriously."

"So, he just simply told you to kill her, no questions asked?"

"Yeah. I didn't wanna do it, but he swore to kill me, if I refused… and he wasn't jokin'. He showed his shotgun to me and threatened me wit it, telling me that he'll really kill me if I don't kill Tyviiana. So, in reality, I had no choice."

"Bastard… well, I'm glad you're honest with it. You never wanted to kill her and I like that. You tried, though… and I'll give you a pat on the shoulder for that." Ibuki did so for about five soft pats before she was back to where she stood before. "If you haven't been told to kill her, Tommy would've never met me."

"That's true, baby." Tommy admitted. "I loved her more than anything until she died. You are the exact splittin' image of her when it comes to your personality."

"So, I've been told. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Chrome. You behave now, here?"

"I will." Chrome replied. "Nice meetin' ya, too. You gots a fine man here. Congrats, girl!" He waved farewell before he headed out the reception, which shocked Ibuki as she watched him leave with Tommy next to her.

"Wait… how come he's leaving?"

"See that around his ankle?" Tommy asked his wife, who took a good look at what he was talking about. She gasped when she saw a beeping tracking device around his ankle. "He's bein' tracked by the police. Despite his apology, he was only allowed to be here for a short while and head back to jail immediately."

"WHAT? WHY? He apologized!"

"Yeah, but due to the damage he caused to Tyviiana, he deserved a lifetime sentence. Apologizin' doesn't change shit."

"BULL… CRAP! CHROME!" This made that very man stop right before he reached the double doors. "WHERE ARE YOU GOIN'? YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!"

"But…" Chrome started. "…I have ta go back. The cops are trackin' my every move."

"Screw them! You apologized and pleaded that you didn't wanna kill Tyviiana, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, stay here, damn it! You deserve it! Besides, her family's here, too."

"They are?" As if on cue, Tyviiana's whole family approached Chrome with smiles, even from the baby in LyTyBaka's arms. "…oh, my God… it _is _ya'll. How have ya'll been since I killed 'er?"

"We've been okay, mate." Harthro replied with honesty. "What ya did to 'er was indeed some kind of bloomin' violent, but ya still don't deserve ta be in jail fo' it, mate. Ya confessed dat ya neva wanted ta kill 'er. Poisonally, mate, I would rather have ya Fatha arrested instead of you."

"Exactly what I was thinkin', pops… but uh… one lil' problem wit dat…"

"What?"

"My dad committed suicide befo' dey could get to 'im."

"…well-damn-it-all." Ibuki muttered as she approached the family and Chrome. "Dumb-ass bastard…"

"Tell me about it. Dat's why dey arrested me instead… and I can't be a free man. I'm sorry, Ibuki."

"…that's okay. Like I said before, you tried. Well, you be careful in jail, okay? Don't let those inmates intimidate you."

"I won't… and I appreciate ya tryin' ta get me ta stay. I'm surprised."

"Are ya kiddin'? You look like the perfect match for Tyviiana. If it hadn't been for your father, you would still be together."

"Yeah, but the past is in the past and nothin' can be changed now."

"True. Well, you take care and I'll pray for you everyday." Ibuki gave the melacholy Chrome one more warm hug and it lasted for a good two minutes before they separated and Chrome was on his way back to prison to serve the rest of his jail time. Ibuki slowly started to leak tears of sorrow out of her chocolate brown eyes and Harthro felt her pain as he approached her on her right and placed a hand on that shoulder as he spoke.

"He was a good guy, y'know." He added, keeping in his tears as best he could. "He would never harm a fly, if he had a mind to, mate."

"Damn government… I hate it when they let good people in jail like this."

"Awww, don't fret, mate. At least, ya got ta meet him. Let's just leave it dat, a'ight, mate?"

"Okay. It was truly nice to meet him." Tommy came up to her from behind after she said this and he gently held her love handles as he spoke.

"I'm glad you feel that way, baby." He started. "How about we cheer you up, huh? Wanna dance? Your theme's playin'."

"Which one? The old one or the new one?" 

"Listen…" Ibuki did so for fifteen seconds and made a sly smile afterwards.

"The old one… from Third Strike."

"There ya go. So, wanna dance, baby?"

"Sure. I hope you can dance as well as you can play football."

"Girl, you don't know what you're missin'."

Later, after about an hour of everyone dancing…

"Hey, ya'll!" Bobby started on stage. "How's everybody doin' tonight?" Everybody cheered as their response. "Good, good! Now, uh… first off, I would like to say that the Father-Daughter dance was just too cute, man!" That made Ibuki and Dyvokhan blush, despite the applause. "Now, it's time to express some feelings! We have a good number of speeches fo' us, so let's start things off with Ryu. Give it up, ya'll!" At that last statement, the audience applauded with appreciation as Ryu got up from his seat and went up on stage, dressed in his traditional white karate gi.

"Thank you, Bobby." Ryu started with a smile. "First off, on behalf of the Street Fighters, I would like to congratulate Ibuki on her marriage." He started the small applause and it lasted for a good fifteen seconds, making the young kunoichi master smile with just as much honor before it got quiet again for Ryu to continue. "To be honest, we never thought she would get this far. Being so desperate for a boyfriend all this time, we expected her to keep searching… but something about this young man… Tommy Jaymes Jones… sparked her love button. She truly does love this man and it wasn't just another random hook-up to see if he was the one. She knew he was the one and he knew that she was the one for him in return… and that's all that mattered between them. Ibuki was a rebel among us. Being a ninja was boring to the poor girl and I've been giving her so much confidence in her skills. She has ninja skills that are beyond her years and that's enough to make all the hairs on the back my neck stand up straight every time I faced her in battle. I was ready for anything she might unravel. What impressed me the most was her Hashinfury Dragon Strike she performed on Govi in her epic battle. I didn't see an amateur kunoichi out there. I saw a ninja master. She may be only twenty years old and still in her rebellious youth, but she truly is a master of the art of the ninja and, as such, we bow down to you once more…" Ryu paused as he slightly bowed down towards Ibuki with respect and she bowed back to him in return with a smile of honor before the legend himself continued. "…No one can be the ninja like you are, Ibuki. Your attacks are fast, stealthy, strong, and you are never open for a counterattack. I'll always remember this: The first time you slid under my Hadoken… in order to snap my neck… was the beginning of the rest of your life. Congratulations, Ibuki Sairoko Totanuki. You have been the best world warrior Street Fighter had to offer."

After that whole speech was done, an extremely loud applause was heard while Ryu got off the stage with a smile before he approached Ibuki and gave her a hug as she was still sitting down in her seat next to Tommy and the rest of his family.

"Thank you, Ryu." She said to the joyful warrior during the embrace. After about a minute, Ryu released the hug and kept his hands on her shoulders as he said:

"Thank _you._" After he said this, he sat down with the other Street Fighters and Bobby went back up on stage after the minute long applause ended.

"Thank you for that beautiful speech, Ryu!" He announced as he finished wiping his tears. "Ibuki was a rebel then… and personally… she still is now… in bed." This made the audience laugh, making Tommy and Ibuki blush as they joined in the laughter. "Now, of course, Tommy has a speech for us. Come on up here, man!" Tommy gave Ibuki a small kiss on the cheek before he got up on stage with a smile of confidence, hearing the small applause on his way up.

"Thanks, Bobby." The gentle giant started. "Once again, Ryu, that was a pretty touchin' speech, but I can top it." This made everyone make small chuckles all over the place, having Ryu shake his head with humor. "Now, as you all know, Ibuki and I made a pretty awkward first encounter. I ran into her by accident while I was tryin' to head for the bathroom while I was sufferin' a major heartache. The moment I saw her with her hair down… I knew she was the one. At first, I had no idea it was her… until my coach guessed her name correctly. That's when my heart skipped a beat… in a good way. She was beautiful and she actually helped me out all throughout my struggle with trying to break up with my ex. I have a heart of gold and just telling a woman that I hated her would make me break down as much as she would. The milestone moment during our relationship was our first round of sex. I never new she was so good at it and I was such a beginner… and I admit it. I was a virgin when I met Ibuki, but now, she's taught me so much and love comes in the craziest ways nowadays. All throughout the rest of the relationship, Ibuki never backed down from her support system. Whenever I cried, she cried. Whenever I laughed, she laughed. Whenever I smiled, she smiled. No matter what the case, she was always right there next to me… to support me… to carry my burden with me… to give me all the love she got… and on top of all that, she gave me the most important life lesson I have ever heard since my coach taught me somethin'. No matter what happens in your life, take it while you can and make the best of it. Some good will happen in the end… and it just did. I love you, Sexy-buki."

"Awwwww." The entire audience sighed, except the animals, baby Tyviiana, and Ibuki, who just sat there with a million dollar smile with tears of pure happiness streaming down her face as Tommy just got off the stage and approached her before picking her up and giving her the warmest hug in his life, making his wife hug him back. The applause never stopped as they were in this adorable embrace for the next two minutes before they slowly parted with a small kiss on the mouth and Tommy gently settled his short wife back down in her seat before he took his seat.

"I love you, too, Tommy." Ibuki sighed as she watched him take his seat.

"My heart is just as massive as my body, baby." Tommy said with a proud face. "Never forget that."

"…you know I won't."

"Awesome speech, man!" Bobby commented as he came back up on stage. "That shows that you really love your girl. Speakin' of her, doesn't she have a speech to share? Hmm?"

"You know it!" Ibuki replied as she stood up and got up on stage, making the audience cheer for her on the way. They immediately stopped applauding at the very moment she faced everyone. "Hey, ya'll. Again, I wanna thank Tommy for that beautiful speech, but aside from that, I just wanna express how I feel about leaving the Glade for the final time. Personally, I really appreciate you all. You've taught me so much and kept me on my toes, keeping me alive as much as you could. I… I couldn't be more proud of what you've done for me all these years. You practically called me your daughter and even though my real parents have been found, it's still not the same. I remember Tommy telling me… on the day the last of his past family on his Mother's side passed away… that, Enjo, if you and the Geki never found me, I wouldn't be here right now. I would've died… an innocent baby… with no future planned… no life… no path to follow. Enjo… you actually saved my life rather than raise me. What my parents had to do was for the sake of my life, but it seemed like I was on the verge of kicking the bucket at a very young age at the very moment they placed me down on the cold wet grass. So… Enjo… I… I…" Ibuki struggled as she started to cry, never wiping her tears. This made Enjo stand up with pride as he slowly pulled down his half-mask in honor as he let his best student finish. "…I just wanna say… thank you… for everything you've done for me. My life wasn't in Hell after all. It was Heaven to me, except I'm alive, well, strong, and brave. Leaving you for the last time… is the hardest leave I've ever had to do… and… I just… wanna say… from the deepest part of my heart… thank you… once again… for saving my life as well as yours. I love you, Father Enjo." After that, Ibuki took off running with tears still leaking out of her eyes as she nearly tackled Master Enjo with a hug of extreme appreciation, making the usually solemn master hug her in return, allowing his silent tears to escape and drip all over Ibuki's chest, neck, and hair. The audience cheered for them as it lasted for the next five minutes before Enjo and Ibuki broke the embrace and just looked at each other for a moment.

"You are very welcome, Master Ibuki." He said to her softly, making her slightly smile, despite her constant sniffling along with her tears. "I never realized that we saved your life rather than just raise you until now and, now that I see it, I am just truly honored to hear you say that."

"Thank you." Ibuki never stopped crying as she finally took her seat next to Tommy, who held her close to him for warmth as well as protection. Bobby just got back on stage and just finished wiping his tears as soon as he stood still.

"…well, damn, man." He started. "It is startin' to be a real tear-fest in here… and I think it could get even better once we do this final speech. Don, come on up, man."

"Don-chan?" Ibuki gasped as she watched her little brother walk up on stage with bravery in his heart. Bobby lowered the microphone stand down towards him right when the tanuki stood on his hind legs like the animal he was. "He has a speech?"

"Yeah, big sis." Don replied, answering her question. "Even I have a speech… and it's the best for last. First and foremost, I'm glad to be Tommy's brother-in-law. It's just a wonderful feelin' to me, but on topa that, I gotta share somethin' personal as well as shocking. As you all may know, I saved Ibuki's life from Govi by sacrificing myself to the gun. I took three bullets to the stomach at point blank range, right before her eyes, and it terrified her like a horror movie. See, the thing was… I didn't want her to die so soon, especially since she has a good man down there next to her. Tommy is the best guy I've seen since she started her little boy hunting charade… and now, it's a permament match… but back to saving her life, that moment you saw with Govi… wasn't the first time I saved her. I've saved her so many times during her training years, but this one memory I have here…" Don paused as he pulled out a folded up sheet of notebook paper and, again, Ibuki was speechless and stunned all at once as she continued to listen to her little brother. "…was the most epic one yet and I just have to share to all of you. Next to taking those bullets, this is in second place when it comes to my list of the bravest rescues slash sacrifices. Here goes. Ahem…" Don paused as he started to read his small story. "…When I felt that teardrop fall on me, I knew something was wrong because it was fairly sunny today. Then, when I looked up, I saw a huge bird carry what looked like Ibuki in the skies. I was terrified beyond belief before I sprung into action and squealed as a sign of my departure before I ran towards that very same cave the bird just landed in. At my physical state, I was able to gain the speed of a cheetah as I ran through the forest towards Ibuki. After running about fifteen miles, I finally reached the mountain and placed my claws into good use as I scurried up the slope just as fast as my running. On my way up, I saw Ibuki's overshirt fly down past me and that was a sign that I must quicken my pace before she's eaten alive! Five minutes went by quicker than I thought and I finally reached the cave, just seeing the bird pierce into Ibuki's back, but before he could finish, I growled with terror before I made a graceful leap towards the bird and headbutted him and we got into a fierce battle. Ibuki was already knocked out by the time the fighting was at its halfway point where he ripped some my flesh and I ripped some of his. This was back and forth for the next ten minutes until I finally claimed victory by getting on top of the eagle's neck and, in one swift motion, I bit into his neck as hard as I could and, not only did it allow me to taste his flesh, I ripped it off as well along with his spine, rendering him dead! I squealed at the top of my lungs in victory before I slowly fell towards the ground with extreme fatigue and managed to have enough energy to crawl towards the unconscious Ibuki, slither my way under her right arm, and just laid there, eventually passing out as well. I will never forget this moment and hopefully… neither will Ibuki." The audience remained silent for the next five minutes, having Ibuki slowly stand up with tears continuing to issue out of her eyes. "Personally, after all that, I'd say that there's nothing more to say that can prove my point any clearer."

"Don-chan…" She whispered with shock. "…you… you didn't have to-"

"But I wanted to… just to prove how much I truly love you as a friend and a big sister. We're more than just a pet and owner, we're family… and that's pretty damn good proof."

"Awww, Don. I love you, too, lil' bro." After that was said, the audience finally applauded with appreciation as Don walked off stage with the story in his mouth before he approached his older sister and she kneeled down towards him for the sweetest hug in their lives, making Tommy slowly start to cry as he continued to applaud with the others. Ibuki's parents never stopped their tears as well as they continued to watch their only daughter hug her smallest piece of family she had.

Ten minutes later…

"Cheers to Ibuki and Tommy!" Dyvokhan announced after so many hugs, kisses, and handshakes, holding up his glass of red wine. Everybody else joined in, having Ibuki hold up her can of the remainder of her energy drink while everyone else held up glasses of wine and water. "For a life well spent... and many more." Shortly after that was said, everyone drank their beverages at the same time with smiles afterwards, having Tommy and Ibuki kiss each other on the mouth for about a minute.

Finally! Tommy's life was complete. He was finally ready to have some fun now… on his honeymoon to Russia to visit his old home and so much more… and I do mean…

SO… MUCH… MORE.

To be continued…


	22. The Homecoming Honeymoon

Chapter 22: The Homecoming Honeymoon

It's finally official. Tommy and Ibuki are now husband and wife and visiting Tommy's old homecountry of Russia was the perfect way to celebrate it. Ibuki can finally see where his whole life began and then some. With that being said, it was also her first time on an airplane in many years and she didn't know what to expect as the two patiently waited for their flight on the pleasant afternoon after their wedding day.

"Anxious, baby?" Tommy asked as he was just looking up from reading a magazine on cars. Ibuki kept her focus on her smartphone as she was texting Sarai, but she listened to her husband as she nodded. "Been a while since you flew, huh?"

"Yeah." Ibuki replied with honesty as she just finished sending a text message to her old friend. "I hope the food is good up there."

"Heh, heh… who said we were flying coach?"

"What?"

"Tommy…" Dudley came in as he just approached the two, surprising Ibuki. "…your private jet is fueled up and ready for departure."

"Dudley? What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to lend a helping hand to you both. My old friend, Rickard, just so happens to be a professional pilot and he'll fly you two to any destination you wish. I hear you're heading for Siberia, Russia for your honeymoon."

"Yeah." Tommy replied. "I want Ibuki to see where I grew up until I moved after my fifth birthday."

"Ahhh, splendid. Shall we get moving then?"

Ten minutes later, on the flight to Russia…

"Oh, wow." Ibuki gasped as she looked out her window on her left side of the plane, seeing the many pure white clouds pass by, while Tommy was nearest to the aisle, watching her with his handsome smile. "It's so beautiful up here… and I kinda feel bad missing all of this while I'm leaping from tree to tree or building to building."

"Damn." Tommy chuckled. "I guess that means that your ninja skills are just too awesome to sight see in between."

"Exactly. So, uh…" Ibuki paused as she turned towards her husband. "…since we're heading for your home, I have plenty of questions I wanna get outta my head."

"Go ahead, baby."

"Did you… ever… um… ya know… ask your parents any crazy questions, like 'Where do babies come from?' or something like that?"

"I did… once."

"And what did they say?"

"They didn't say nothin'."

"Of course. Is Bobby really the only friend you have?"

"Yeah. We've been friends since we were toddlers, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. How exactly did you two meet?"

"It was a confrontation with a bully that just so happened to flush my favorite action figure down the toilet. It was just so mean of him and I just broke down cryin' like a baby. Bobby stood up for me and, being the tattletale that he was, told on the bully towards our teacher. She instantly punished him to suspension rather than time out."

"Whoa! Suspension? For toddlers?"

"Yeah. The rules were different in Russia. The only big rule was that if you disobey or mistreat someone else for nothin', then dire consequences will come at you faster than your speed."

"Well, damn. That's kinda harsh, don'tcha think?"

"Yeah, it is, but it was a rule everyone enjoyed… except the bully, of course."

"You… don't remember his name?"

"…it was Brutus."

"…say whaaaaat?"

"Yeah."

"And he was in your football team?"

"He apologized and we were cool after that. He stopped his bulling ways after he saw how huge he became over the years. He said so himself on his eighteenth birthday and I quote: 'Since I got this big, Tommy… da last thing I wanna do… is murder someone. I ain't gonna be a bully no more. I promise.' At first, I was skeptical about it, but as soon as he started crying after that, then I believed him and he proved it even more by being one of the best linebackers on the team, next to me, of course."

"Awwww, that's so sweet of him."

"Yeah, I really appreciated him for that. Now, any childhood memories you wanna bring up since were on that subject?"

"PFFFFHA-HA!"

"…what's that for?"

"I didn't have much of a childhood! I can tell ya this, though… after my twelveth birthday, I had to get this operation done on my… uh… ya know…"

"Whoa! They didn't cut you open down there, did they?"

"First of all, do you know who 'they' are?"

"Enjo and them."

"Yeah… well, to answer your question, no. They just simply injected a special permament preventive formula that disabled my cycles comepletely."

"So, you can still make babies, right?"

"Yeah. Why? You wanna start now?"

"No, not yet!"

"Awwww, don't tell me you're nervous."

"I ain't nervous. I just know you're gonna be an extreme sex beast when that time comes."

"You damn right… and I'm not gonna give you any mercy neither."

"…a'ight-now-I'm-nervous."

"HA! I sussed you!"

"…bitch."

"Namby pamby…"

"WHAT?"

"I-ain't say-nothin'." Ibuki immediately turned back towards the window just as quickly as her last statement, trying to act as casual as possible. Tommy watched her with playful anger for about a minute before he pulled out his smartphone and started playing a racing game on it.

Four hours later…

The small private jet finally landed in Siberia International Airport and Tommy woke up Ibuki from her nap right when it came to a complete stop. She slowly opened her chocolate brown eyes, yawned, and stretched as she sat up.

"Whew!" She sighed after her minute long stretch. "Four hours… what a flight."

"I'm surprised you didn't say you was starving." Tommy quoted nonchalantly. This made Ibuki's stomach rumble on cue, making both of them chuckle. "Heh, heh, heh, heh… spoke too soon."

"Yeah, now I'm hungry. Those pancakes your mom made were pretty filling."

"I can see that. Anyway, since I'm kinda hungry myself, let's go eat first before we head to my old home. I know the perfect place."

Thirty minutes later, after a cab ride to Downtown Siberia…

"Here it is." Tommy announced as he and his wife got out of the vehicle. What Ibuki saw before her nearly made her fall to the floor with shock. The building was as tall and big as your casual superstore, but it was decorated with bright colors and a twenty-five foot tall statue of the world's smallest cheetah stood on the entrance's left side. "This is actually one of Russia's biggest fast food resturants. I went here when I was three and just played with my friends in the playground in the back."

"Whoa, no kidding!" Ibuki exclaimed as she adjusted her backpack. "Evan's Savanah, huh? Awesome!"

"Wait until you see their food, baby. You'll drool."

"I hope so."

Five minutes later, inside the resturant…

"Tommy!" Called out a cute toddler boy's voice through the loud conversations. This made the couple turn towards the tinest cheetah cub they've ever seen. He was no taller than a sneaker and he wore a black leather collar around his neck with a shiny golden 'E' in place of the license. He approached the two in his specially made hovercraft. "Long time no see, buddy! How's life been for ya?"

"Life been all over the place fo' me, Evan." Tommy replied with a smile. "I see you haven't grown an inch or an age since I last saw you over eighteen years ago. Still shorter than a basketball, huh?"

"Nyah! I love being this small at three years old. Takes the hell outta being the top cat, being in charge of everything and shit. Know what I'm sayin'?"

"Totally, dude. Oh! I wanna introduce you to my beautiful wife, Ibuki."

"Hi." Ibuki greeted with her adorable smile. "You're Evan, huh?"

"Yep!" Evan replied. "And uh… meeeeeow! Is it just me or did it suddenly get hot in here? You're _the _Ibuki-On-The-Scene herself… AND you're married to Tommy? That's making my fur go insane between my balls, girl!"

"Eww, man!" Tommy cringed with disgust. Ibuki raised an eyebrow with a sly smile at Evan's statement.

"Nice." She commented.

"It's the truth!" Evan admitted. "Anyway, I'm guessin' ya'll are here to celebrate your marriage, huh? Honeymooners?"

"Yeah. Got any good seats fo' us?" Tommy asked.

"Dude, I'm letting you two have the balcony today. Personally, I don't let people eat on the balcony during the day, but seeing that you have the rest of the day to enjoy your honeymoon, I'll let it slide this time… oh, and uh… Tommy, since you're an old time visitor, your meal is free of charge no matter what. Even Ibuki's is free. How 'bout that?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Holla if ya'll need anything. I'll send my owner, Valrina, to serve you two shortly."

Five minutes later, at a beautiful glass table for two on a balcony…

"He's a cute little guy." Ibuki commented, referring to Evan. "Is he really a record-breaker?"

"Officially, yeah." Tommy replied. "He's been three years old for as long as I could remember, but his size never grew either. He's been that small since he was nine months old. Zoologists around these parts classified his disorder as an animal version of dwarfism. They called it miniaturism."

"Aww, poor little guy. Well, at least, he's living the good life around here. Does he own this place?"

"Yeah. Valrina is the co-founder of the place and his owner."

"Awesome!"

"Thank you, Ibuki." Replied an extremely deep female voice that never mesmerized Tommy at all as they both gave the owner of that voice her undivided attention. She was a six feet and one inch tall blonde haired woman with a Caucasian complexion and had the most beautiful hazel brown eyes they have ever seen. "It's tough raising a tiny cheetah and running a resturant at the same time, but it's better than just regular babysitting."

"You said it! You must be Valrina."

"Yes, that's correct. I welcome you both to Evan's Savanah, where we have the best food Russia has never seen before… and Tommy, it's so good to see you again. I was actually pretty worried when I heard that your mother got arrested for a crime she would never consider doing. How is she?"

"I freed her…" Tommy started. "Well… techincally, Ibuki freed her."

"Me?" Ibuki asked with confusion, then did a double take in realization. "Oh, yeah… I did."

"Awww, that's wonderful!" Valrina exclaimed with excitement. "So, you're back to being a full family again?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied. "After over sixteen years, we are a family again."

"That's so nice. Well, I'm glad things are flowing perfectly again for you. Now, let me guess in this scene here… you married Ibuki?"

"Yeah. What? Evan told you?"

"No. Took a wild guess."

"Oh."

"But, this is great. You're married to the better ninja of Street Fighter."

"TA-HA-HA!" Ibuki laughed. "You think Guy sucks, too?"

"Of course. He's no ninja. I'm looking at a true ninja right before me and I've heard that you are officially the Ninjitsu Master."

"Yep… and damn, it feels good."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now, I know you two must be parched after a long flight. What would you two like to drink?"

"I'll have just have some water." Tommy replied.

"Do you have green tea?" Ibuki asked. Valrina nodded in response as she wrote down Tommy's request. "Can you make it iced with a small hint of honey?"

"Sure, no problem. I'll be right back with your drinks. Here are your menus." Valrina paused as she handed the newlyweds their menus. "I'll be back in a few." As soon as she left, Ibuki shuttered. This made Tommy chuckle.

"What was that for, Ibuki-baby?" Tommy asked with wonder.

"Her voice is making my spine go nuts." Ibuki replied. "It's not bothering you?"

"Not really. Ever since I met you, no other female voice can mesmerize me. Only yours, baby… 'cause you're just too cute."

"Awww, Tommy. I would say the same about your voice, too. Your voice just turns me on in bed, especially when you talk extra deep right in my ear. Oooooh, wee! Sexy!"

"Heh, heh… thanks, baby girl. Now, let's see what they got." Tommy opened his menu and was immediately sucked into his search for a good meal. Ibuki looked into her menu and she nearly drooled at the many choices to choose from. Her hungry eyes scanned all through the menu until she came across an entreé that made her stomach rumble even louder. Hearing this made Tommy look up from his menu with a smile. "See somethin' you like, Sexy-buki?"

"Hell to the yeah…" Ibuki muttered as she kept her eyes on the title of the meal. "…do you know what the 'Terriyaki Tilapia Feast' is?"

"Awww, that's my Dad's favorite. He used to order that every time we visited this place. It looks delicious, but I never tasted it. It's got wood-grilled tilapia smothered in terriyaki sauce and it has fried rice with that terriyaki zing, too… but get this, baby…" He paused as Ibuki looked right at him. "…despite all that terriyaki, it's all low in salt."

"Say whaaaat? Dude, that's cool."

"Did I also forget to mention that you get three tilapia fillets on top of that rice?"

"Three? Are they big pieces?"

"Yeah, baby. Big enough to satisfy you."

"Ohhhh, yeah… I'm gettin' this. What are you getting?"

"I'm gonna get what I couldn't get back then, since I was too young. It's simply the 'Seafood Smorgasbord'. Basically, it has fried fish, shrimp, crab meat, crab cakes, and a lobster tail… and pile it up nice with some rice pillaf on the side." 

"You're just as hungry as I am."

"Tell me about it. I just hope I finish first this time."

"In your dreams! Nobody can eat as fast as I can. A kunoichi's gotta eat, ya know."

"I guess. Same goes for a football player."

"Your muscles explain it all. Mmmm!"

"Easy, girl. Don't pounce on me just yet. When I'm ready to start our parenthood, I'll let you know."

"Good… and it better not be so late. I wanna be wide awake."

"Damn…"

_Ibuki's really desperate to have a child. _Tommy's voice finished in his head as he looked back in his menu. _I'm wonderin' if she's always wanted to be a mom in the first place, despite her small protests earlier… or maybe it's just about how rough she's gonna get… how fun it's gonna be… that's probably the motive behind her anxiety. Now, if that's not cute and sexy enough for her, then I don't know what is. _

Thirty-five minutes later…

"Ho-holy shit!" Ibuki exclaimed as she took in her first bite of her Terryaki Tilapia Feast. She was literally leaning back in her chair with small bits of drool coming down her neck as she took her sweet time chewing. "Damn, this is too good! I just might take my time with this one. It's delicious!"

"I'm glad you like it, baby." Tommy replied with his handsome smile while he ate his entreé. "Now you see why my Dad loved it so much."

"No shit!" Ibuki continued to take her time eating for once. "So, now that I'm calm, I wanna hear more about your childhood here. Did you really grow fast, like you said?"

"Yeah. I learned how to talk by the time I turned three, just a year after I learned how to walk. After those milestone moments, my life just kinda took off from there. I was making friends, makin' good grades at an early age, and, of course, I already told you how desperate I was to meet you when I was three."

"Tee, hee. Yeah, I remember. You didn't spend the rest of your childhood on that, did you?"

"For about three more years, even long after my mom got arrested. I grew out of it by the time I turned seven. As a result, I became a man pretty early, too."

"Wow! I can imagine how attractive you were, even as a child."

"I _was_ attractive, Ibuki. I gained more attention from other Mothers who wished they had a boy like me. Next thing I knew, I'm a star attraction by the time I get into high school. Only two ladies attracted me then…"

"Tyviiana and Sasha."

"…exactly… and each one of those ladies had one thing in common that you also have, Sexy-buki…"

"What was it?"

"A will to love me for who I am on the inside… not how I look on the outside."

"…You're just a sweet man, Tommy. All those other girls who didn't attract you didn't see who you were inside that extremely massive and diesel body of yours. I, as well as Sasha and Tyviiana, saw through your sexy muscles and found a man who longs for a family… who longs for peace and tranquility… who longs… for love… Sasha was the only woman who only saw through you… through the eyes of a greedy gold-digger." Tommy kept quiet as he nodded in understanding with a small smile as he continued to eat and listen while keeping his bright green eyes on Ibuki, who was nearly finished with her meal. "When I met you, I already sensed a heavy burden within your soul. Your emotions of an only child couldn't hide it from me. As a ninja who has a remarkable sixth sense, I sensed so much more within you and your will to strive and continue on with your life, despite everything that's been happening between us, has blossomed into a full fledged angel that's guiding you into your new future. Tommy… you are more than just any man with a heart of gold. You are a man who knows what he wants… who knows who he loves…" Ibuki paused as she leaned a bit closer to her husband, holding one of his huge hands that held a fork. "…who knows all about kindness, love, and respect as if you've written a book on it. With that knowledge, Tommy-chan, your fragile heart of an only child is no longer breakable. It's as indestructible as it can get and along with that…" Ibuki paused again as she gently placed a slender hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat, while her other hand was on her chest, feeling hers. This made her smile with a pretty seductive look on her brown eyes. "…your heartbeat matches mine perfectly. We are one soul with a pair of strong hearts that can take on any obsticles life may bring… and laugh in their faces… and maybe give it the finger on the side."

Tommy never said a word as he continued to allow Ibuki to keep her soft touch on his chest for the next two minutes while staring into her chocolate brown eyes. After the two minutes, Tommy slowly raised a free hand to her left cheek and just gently stroked it with appreciation for about thirty seconds before the two slowly leaned in for a delicious kiss on the mouth and their tongues were literally swirling around inside each other's mouths, emitting small bits of saliva as they made small breaks in the kiss every three tasty smooches. This made the audience of bystanders watch with loving smiles on their faces, including Evan and Valrina at the bar. Evan nodded at the scene as he whispered to his owner:

"Tommy is a man, ya know. He'll never let a tragedy take over him now."

Ten minutes later, in another small cab ride towards Tommy's old home…

Tommy and Ibuki just continued their tasty kiss of epic proportions for the next three minutes before they finally parted very slowly and stared into each other's eyes for the next thirty seconds before they sat perfectly in their respective sides of the back seat.

"Goddamn, baby." Tommy finally spoke. "Every last word you said back there was all true and I felt it all right here in my heart. That had to be the deepest speech I've heard from you since the reception."

"Comes from all that prophecy training I received on the side of my ninja traning." Ibuki admitted. "I'm glad you understood every word. You truly are a one-of-a-kind man and no other can replace you or do what you do."

"Same goes for you, baby girl."

"Awww, thanks. So, where are we going now?"

"We're goin' to my old house near the ourskirts of Siberia. What I'm surprised about, though, is the fact that it's never been sold since I moved over sixteen years ago."

"Maybe there's something special in your home that nobody wouldn't want to touch."

"Probably. HEY! That's a great idea. We'll make this old house visit sort of a treasure hunt. That's a great way to spend some time during a honeymoon."

"That _is _a great idea, Tommy! I hope some treasures are worth keeping in there, since you bought that up."

Five minutes later…

Their cab stopped right in front of Tommy's old suburban home. Its yellow paint faded with age and same went for the brown shutters and the front door in the same brown color. The memory search started at the very moment Tommy spotted an old rocking chair on the roomy porch. He looked at it with a smile as he led Ibuki up the set of six stairs to reach the porch.

"My mom used to feed me my bottles every sunrise out here on this porch." Tommy started as he just stopped in front of the chair and took a picture ot it with his digital camera. "Maybe the very essence of the morning air created my peaceful nature."

"Your mom did something right for you coming out here." Ibuki agreed, taking a good look at the partially damaged chair. She looked all over the rest of the porch and found a few scratches on the wooden floor. This worried her a little as she continued. "Hey, Tommy?"

"Yeah, baby?" Tommy turned towards her and frowned at what Ibuki was staring at. "Oh, those old scratches on the floor…"

"Yeah. How did these get here?" Ibuki kneeled down to take a closer look at them, but dared not to touch them.

"The police around here were pretty hasty when they chased my mom after they saw her with the trap on Velvet. Those scratches are actually from some of those officers' expensive shoes. They scurried up here and they meant business. They were not gonna let my mama go without a fight."

"Wow." Ibuki pulled out her digtial camera and took a good picture of the scratches before she continued. "I'll bet the whole scene was rough."

"It was, Ibuki. The biggest bombshell, though, was watching them shock my mom with a taser right before my five-year-old eyes."

"Oh, no!" Ibuki stood up fast and turned towards her husband just as fast. "Was she okay?"

"She was unconscious after that, but she recovered pretty well just days after. She was still a lil' shaken up, though."

"I can imagine."

"I bet you can."

"Yeah, really… I can imagine because of Crimson Viper's shocker hands or whatever the hell she calls them. Either way you say it, those things on her hands are lethal. She shocked me in one fight and I swear I could not walk straight for the next two days. I felt like I drank ten bottles of beer for those two long days."

"Damn… but despite all that shit that's been happenin' to you, you still stayed strong and survived. By the way, I gotta ask you somethin' while I unlock this door…" Tommy turned towards the front door and pulled out his key while Ibuki just approached him on his left. "…during Ryu's speech, he mentioned the first time you slid under his Hadoken to perform your sweet neck breaker move. How did that feel to you?"

"It felt spectacular! Oh, my God! You have no idea how exciting that was. I thought my ponytail would get burned on the way, but no! I sucessfully slid right underneath Ryu's Hadoken and snapped his neck when I reached him. It resulted in a K.O. after that and I was so proud of myself! That alone proved that my skills as a ninja will never be taken over by a wannabe douchebag like Guy. Ew!"

"Well, I thought Guy was okay. He wasn't hitting my 'Oh, snap! He's too sweet, dude!' button, but… uh… I guess he can qualify for a Street Fighter and probably become a candidate for a cosplaying contest on the side, too."

"Thank you! Somebody finally said it… and it had to be you, baby. Just for that, I'm making your baby maker work extra hard on me when we get back home."

"Aw, shit… Me and my big mouth…"

Three minutes later, inside the vacant house…

"Whoa…" Tommy gasped as he looked around the living room. Ibuki was also astonished. "…somebody's been… keepin' it… clean!"

"Yeah." Ibuki agreed. "I really expected dust and cobwebs all over the place, but someone has been keeping it tidy since you had to move. I wonder who…" Then, as if on cue, they both heard footsteps coming from up the set of over fifty stairs before them. They kept quiet as they watched for the owner of those small steps to come down. Two slow minutes went by and Tommy couldn't believe who he saw walking down the stairs. She was a woman at her age of 22, but was only two feet and five inches tall. Her grapefruit-sized light brown eyes and her Causcasian skin glowed in the bright lights and the same went for her bright neon pink shirt. Her black jeans and pink sneakers added flare to her whole outfit, but it also made her look adorable in her short stature. Her long brown hair was just at the same length as her height as well. When she saw Tommy, she froze with shock. Even her three butlers behind her never ceased to be amazed.

"Tommy?" The short woman asked in a deep female voice as tears were forming in her big cute eyes.

"Tyviiana?" Tommy guessed as well. It was indeed the Tyviiana who he thought was dead, thanks to her ex. "Wha… how… how did you… I thought you were…"

"I was, but someone sent me an angel and I was brought back to life by my twentieth birthday. I believe that angel was your grandfather Darikosho."

"He knew about you this whole time. So, where have you been since the stabbing?"

"Here… cleaning your home. I knew you used to live here and I've been keeping it clean all this time… with the help of my butlers, of course."

"You weren't buried, were you?"

"I was, but again, your grandfather sent a bright light within my coffin and released me just five seconds later. I may not be within your arms again, since you're married to Ibuki here, but I'll still treat you as if you were my brother. I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, too." Tommy allowed Tyviiana to run up to him and leap into his huge arms for a loving embrace unlike any other, having tears of pure joy stream down both of their faces within the hug. Ibuki watched with the happiest tears she's ever had in her entire life. This scene lasted for a good three minutes before Tommy just held Tyviiana in his big hands, like she was a child. "You haven't changed a bit since your death. So, you've been hiding here this whole time?"

"Yes." Tyviiana replied. "Since many people around here find my appearance repulsive, I decided to conceal myself here while making a good use of my time cleaning this entire place. There are so many treasures around here that just couldn't dare to touch until you finally wanted to revert to your past."

"Wow. Thanks, Tyviiana. You really did care about me. When it's time for us to head back home, you're coming with me. I'll be sure that these people treat you like any other person."

"Oh, thank you so much, Tommy. That means a lot to me to hear you say that. Now that you're here, how about we discover these treasures I've found? I'm sure Ibuki would be riveted to see them."

"Curious as I am, yeah." Ibuki agreed. "And it's so nice to meet you, Tyviiana. Now I see why Tommy honored you so much since you died. He said you were an angel to him."

"Because he was so caring towards me. His huge size never scared me in the least… and it still doesn't today. He has that special soft touch most big men can't have and I think that's a God-given gift."

"I think so, too."

"Good. I wish you both good luck in your marriage. Now, let's see some treasures…"

Three minutes later, upstairs…

"This is Tommy's old room from when he was a child." Tyviiana introduced as they entered a small room that was fit for a little boy. It was decorated with a blue wall and white stars and everything inside the room matched, except one special stuffed animal on the twin sized bed. Tommy took a good look at the medium sized stuffed gecko on the edge of the bed and he just picked it up and took in that fresh lavender scent. "I knew this was one of your favorite stuffed animals you cherished so much as a kid and I just kept it nice and clean for you. I believed you named him… Greenburrg."

"Greenburrg?" Ibuki giggled. Tommy chuckled a little himself as he held the stuffed animal.

"Yeah." Tommy admitted. "I had a pretty wild imagination back then. I remember him very well. He's been by my side since I was two. Next to Fate, he was the only other imaginary friend I had to talk to. Maybe I can pass him down to our baby one day."

"That's a good idea, Tommy!"

"Awww, you two are planning to have a baby?" Tyviiana asked with a smile. Tommy blushed as he nodded, carefully stuffing Greenburrg in his duffle bag. Seeing her husband blush, Ibuki volunteered to answer that.

"Yeah. He always said that he's been wanting to be a dad for a long time and he's gonna get his chance when we get home."

"Awwww, that's so sweet." Tyviiana commented. "Knowing him, he'll be so gentle to the baby, since it'll be so small, it'll practically fit in the palm of his hand. I can't wait to see it."

"I'm glad." Tommy muttered under his breath with nervousness. Tyviiana giggled at his behavior as she crossed her arms.

"What's the matter, Tommy? Are you afraid that Ibuki might be…'The Man'… of the bedroom?"

"…uh-huh."

"Oooooh, he's nervous. Are you… really, Ibuki?"

"Hell, yeah!" Ibuki replied with a confident smile. "I'll make sure he'll give me everything he's got and them some. If he doesn't, then I will really be…_ the man._"

"…awww, shit…" Tommy muttered, keeping his head turned away from the ladies with his eyes closed. Ibuki crossed her arms with a sly smile as she looked at her nervous husband.

"Aww, Tommy…I'm starting to feel bad about it. Maybe I will take it easy on you if you go hardcore on me first. Will that make you happy?"

"Will you beg me to stop?" Tommy stood up straight with a smile as he turned towards his wife. Ibuki thought about it for literally thirty seconds before she finally spoke.

"…no."

"Why'd you have to think about it? Afraid that you might?"

"…no."

"Awww, she's so cute. I made her nervous."

"Nice comeback." Ibuki desperately held her crotch after that, feeling the need to take a piss all of a sudden. This made Tommy chuckle. "REEEEEALLY nice comeback. Now, uh… where's the-"

"Further down the hall and it'll be on your left by the time you walk past my parents' open door."

"Thank-you." After that, Ibuki dashed off to the bathroom to relieve herself before she soaked herself. Tyviiana chuckled at this scene as she and Tommy calmly walked out after the rushing ninja, heading for Tommy's parents' room.

"Well, I'm guessing she will beg you to stop." Tyviiana guessed. Tommy nodded as he just pushed opened the door to his parents' old room. "Will you beg her to stop as well?"

"I might." Tommy admitted. "But, ya know what? That's how it'll get more fun."

"Indeed."

"Wait! I just realized something, Tyviiana…"

"What is it?"

"What happened to your Austrailian accent?"

"Your grandfather… didn't really like my accent and vowed to revivify me in exchange for it. I had to oblige to the offer or I wouldn't be here right now."

"I… never knew he didn't like certain things. He seemed like the kind of man who appreciated everything this world had to offer."

"Looks can be deceiving, Tommy. That phrase sticks with you like glue and cement fused together. You are so big in size, but so cute and calm compared to most stereotypical macho men."

"And that will never leave my resumé. Ibuki kinda said the same thing in a pretty lengthy speech back at the resturant."

"She foresaw your feelings towards other people. As a ninja, it's highly understandable. Did she fear you when you two first met?"

"Naw. It was a pretty awkward first encounter…"

"…he ran into me during his rush to the bathroom back in college." Ibuki finally came in after she relieved herself of her nervousness. "His giant appearance didn't scare me in the least. If Seth or Gill doesn't scare me, then Tommy shouldn't neither."

"Go figure." Tyviiana commented. It was silent for the next two minutes before Ibuki finally realized where she was.

"Tommy, is this your parents' old room?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied. "I know there's not much here to find. I rarely came in here during my childhood, so I don't know what to expect outta here."

"Oh, I'm sure they keep, like, a photo album or somethin'."

"Indeed, they did have one." Tyviiana came in as she took careful steps towards a vacant drawer. She opened it and pulled out a thick binder that was full of pictures. "I can barely carry this thing, however."

"I'll take it." Tommy said to his old friend as he took the heavy book from her and carried it as if it was light as a feather. "Damn, I haven't seen this album in years. I wonder if it's still in here…" Tommy drifted away as he sat down on the clean king-sized bed and opened the book once it was in his lap. Ibuki joined him on the bed on his left just seconds later and tried to look in the book with him. "…it has to be."

"What'cha talkin' about?" Ibuki asked playfully. Tommy chuckled at the way that sounded as he kept his eyes on the album. Ibuki smiled at the many small pictures of her husband as a child and at how young his parents looked back then. Tyviiana joined them shortly after the chuckle by carefully climbing up the side of the bed until she was able to sit next to Tommy on his right. After about three more minutes of looking, Tommy's smile grew wide as he saw a newspaper snipet with the headline titled: 'Record Breaking Birth in Russia's History'. Ibuki went wide eyed at the report as she continued. "Whoa! Tommy, is that… you?"

"Yeah. I was one of the biggest baby births in the history of Siberia. My family became famous after this. The citizens around here always treated my family like celeberties and it felt great, even after my mom was arrested. They still supported her because they knew she would never consider harming an animal like that."

"Wow."

"Yes." Tyviiana agreed. "According to the doctors, they didn't have any doubts that Tommy would grow to be this big in size and stature. Tommy, why don't you read the report to us?"

"A'ight." Tommy started before he started to read as follows:

"'Siberia has one of the coldest winters in the world, but that seemed like nothing when it came to the Jones' family. On this epic day, December 17, Karthaji Flakyss Jones and Johnnie Thompson Jones gained a new member to their small family: a fifteen pound and seven ounce baby boy they named Tommy Jaymes Jones. Despite being that size, there were no health problems and the baby is just fine. What astounded the doctors and nurses the most was his rare eye color of the brightest neon green they've ever seen. Being almost identical to his Korean mother's eyes, it was indeed a rare sighting for a light brown baby to have.

Many citizens called them 'Angel Eyes' and they knew that someday, this small baby boy would grow into a peaceful young man and would never develop a mind enraged with violence, anger, or hate. We will anticipate his homecoming someday when he decides to return long after his mother has been arrested on animal cruelty charges that she would never consider performing. Due to this fact, we here at Siberia have dedicated our lives to worship this family, especially their only son, Tommy Jaymes Jones. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Karthaji in hopes that she'll survive prison and our prayers also go out to young Tommy in his promising future. We hope you'll strive to new heights and we honor you forever.'…wow. Now, I never expect the would worship my family for this."

"It's all in your eyes, Tommy." Tyviiana added, making the newlyweds face her at full attention. "Being half-African American makes your eye color one of the rarest things humans can possess. At this rate, most people from other countries, besides Japan and Russia, wouldn't be able to make out what your race is… and adding that to your gentle nature most men like you can't keep for years makes you one of the most extraordinary humans in the history of the Earth."

"Whoa… " Tommy paused for a brief minute before he turned towards his adorable wife. "…that means that our baby will be just as rare."

"Yeah, you're right." Ibuki agreed. "It'll probably be a combination of three races!"

"You should make this announcement to the citizens of Siberia, Tommy." Tyviiana suggested. "I have a pretty good way of getting you to perform this task…"

Fifteen minutes later, at Siberia's city hall…

"My God!" The young male office assistant exclaimed in his Russian accent from his desk as he just saw Tommy, Ibuki, and Tyviiana walk inside the main hall. His brown eyes widened with shock, happy to see Tommy all grown up for the first time. "If it isn't Tommy Jaymes Jones… the baby boy that could. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thanks." Tommy replied with a smile. "I'm here with my wife, Ibuki, and my old friend, Tyviiana."

"Wife? You're married now?"

"Yes, sir… and uh… we're planning on having a baby. So, uh…"

"Say no more! Say no more! I know where this is going, yes. I'll alert the Mayor right away and get him to schedule a public gathering at the main square. How does that sound?"

"Hey, as long as most of the citizens here can make it, dat's cool wit me."

"Excellent. Stay right here… all three of you. Please do have a seat. Make yourselves comfortable until I get back… and it's pleasure to meet you, Ibuki. My fifteen year old son is a huge fan of you and I'm sure he'll be riveted to hear that you're married to one of the rarest humans in the world."

"And I'm sure I'll be riveted to see his reaction." Ibuki quoted back with a giggle afterwards.

"Good, good! Be right back." After that, the young assistant hurried to the back of the building to retrieve the Mayor. Tommy still remained standing with confidence while the ladies behind him took a seat in a sofa that just happened to be there.

"About ninety-seven percent of all of these citzens around here know me and my family." Tommy started. "The Mayor was the most honored to meet us after I turned two, just to see how big I've grown for a fifteen pound newborn baby. That's the last time he's ever seen me. Now that I'm twenty-one years old, he'll really see how big I've gotten since then. I'm a bit nervous about the meetin', though."

"Why?" Ibuki asked. "Are you scared that he might punk out or somethin'?"

"Yeah, but I know he still misses me. He hasn't seen me in so long… he's probably been wondering how I've been doing all of this time. We have a pretty big story to tell, baby."

"Yeah, I know… but Tommy, I didn't know you were born in December."

"Yeah, why?"

"So was I."

"WHAT? Really?"

"Yeah. My birthday's on December 6th."

"Wow! What a coincidence. That's actually convenient, since we're married now. We can celebrate our birthdays on the same month."

"That all depends on the baby, too."

"Oh, yeah… that's right."

"He's still nervous." Tyviiana quoted with humor. "On the bright side, however, you'll all celebrate your birthdays on the same exact month as a family, if it does happen. It'll be a more unique experience than riding your first roller coaster."

"TOMMY!" The same office assistant called out from the distance, getting the attention from all three. "The Mayor would like to speak with you and Ibuki privately. Tyviiana, you stay out there."

"Yes." Tommy cheered in a whisper as Ibuki approached him from behind on his right side and held his big hand. "Ready, Ibuki-baby?"

"Whenever you are." Ibuki replied with a peaceful smile before the two headed for the Mayor's office with pride in their hearts. Tyviiana remained in her seat and watched the two leave with just as much delight, praying for the best.

Three minutes later, in the Mayor's office…

Tommy and Ibuki just walked inside and the Mayor, a peaceful man in his mid-seventies with blue eyes and a black suit, raised a silver eyebrow upon seeing Ibuki with a smile as he allowed the newlyweds to sit down in separate chairs right before him.

"Good Lord…" He gasped in a sweet gruff man's voice. "Tommy Jaymes Jones himself… haven't seen you since you were two. Look at how big you've grown since then. I've heard so much about your struggle with your Mother being in prison for a crime she never comitted. Are you doing okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now." Tommy replied. "Simply put, meeting Ibuki made everything come back to normal."

"Did it now? Hmmm! I'm impressed. And Ibuki, such an honor to meet you. Exactly how did you drastically change Tommy's life?"

"Well, first of all, it's a pleasure to meet you, too." Ibuki started politely. "Second, I just basically looked into his heart mentally. I had a slight feeling in my sixth sense that he was having an internal struggle with his life and I was right. Being a ninja has more advantages than I thought, especially for a relationship."

"I see. And I thought you hated your ways of a ninja."

"I did… at first… but now, I'm a believer. Being a kunoichi not only helped me through many obsticles in my life, but it also helped me with maintaining a relationship with a man who has just as much trouble with his life as I had with mine."

"Ah, excellent! Now, Tommy, since you're married to this lovely kunoichi, care to tell me why you love this woman so much? I want to hear your perspective."

"Well…" Tommy started.

Ten minutes later, at the Siberian Main Square…

"…Like I said to the Mayor before, citizens…" Tommy continued as he, Ibuki, and Tyviiana were standing on a stage before billions of people with the Mayor standing behind the three. "…Meeting Ibuki changed my life drastically. I've been with plenty of women in my life, but when I accidently ran into Ibuki one day during college, it was the start of a new life for me. Personally, I never thought she would even consider dating a senstive man like me, but she felt my internal struggle and hooked up with me without any sense of thought, realizing that I am a good man at heart. She sensed my beloved Mother's imprisonment, my issues with my ex-girlfriend, and she even sensed how depressed I became every once in a while ever since I was young."

"What did your depression do to you?" One female citizen asked.

"It didn't do much, really. I was still trying to act normal around my family and best friend back when I was a child at three years old. Ever since I was two, however, I had these conversations with Fate. To me, he was a friend to talk to during my down time. To the rest of you, it was just your life and the many unexpected events that could happen in a lifetime."

"You never gained new brothers or sisters?"

"No. I was an only child then and I still am today… except maybe a few adopted siblings."

"Tell us about them!" A male citizen called out.

"Well, there's my best friend, Bobby Fallace. He's not here with us right now, but he's back in Japan, just spending time with the Glade for a while. He and I have been friends since we were two… well, he was two and I was three, but still, that was how long we've been friends. He's pratically like a brother to me and he's always had my back ever since. We never fought about anything, we never started a violent dispute towards each other, and he never disagreed with anything I said. He knew I was always right every time."

"And what about Tyviiana?"

"She used to be my girlfriend until I thought Chrome, her ex, killed her with a hard stab to her head. My grandfather, Darikosho, actually brought her back to life shortly after her death. Speaking of him, Darikosho was the one called Fate that I talked to during my childhood."

"Ooooooh!" The audience gasped.

"So, now that you're married to Ibuki, does this mean that Tyviiana is techincally your adopted sister?" Another young male citizen asked. Tommy nodded.

"Yeah." Tommy replied. "She's a bit small for my sister, but I don't care. All that matters to me is that she still cares about me, even long after she was brought back to life."

"Speaking of you being so big, are you really the gentle giant you were rumored to be in the papers?" An elderly male citizen asked in a gruff voice. Tommy smiled with courage along with Ibuki and Tyviiana.

"As gentle as I can get, yeah. Not only am I gentle towards my family, wife, and friends, I'm also gentle towards children and animals. I run an animal adoption center back in Tokyo, Japan. My mother came up with the idea years ago and nothing's changed since."

"Awwww!" The audience cooed.

"But, why mention that you're sweet towards children?" The same elderly man asked.

"Oh, heh-heh." Tommy chuckled as he held Ibuki closer to him. "Ibuki, my beautiful and cute wife here, have been talking about this for a while since I brought up a dream I had one night and well… she was a bit of skeptic at first. My dream was a look into the future. I was the President and CEO of Animals of Happiness while my parents retired and I came home one day and saw Ibuki carry a baby bundle in her arms as she greeted me with a smile. After having that vision, we both finally decided to try to make that dream a reality. We're planning on having a baby." Hearing this sent the whole crowd of billions cheering like crazy at their loudest. Even some of their pets of dogs started barking along with them and this made the married couple smile with appreciation. Tyviiana lightly applauded with them as she spoke.

"I bet that felt wonderful saying that to those people who worship you and your family as Gods." She quoted through the loud celebration. "And I see you're not looking too nervous about it now, Tommy. You've changed that quickly?"

"I feel good about it now." Tommy replied. "Besides…" He paused for a brief moment as he looked down at his adorable wife. "…I'd love to see Ibuki be 'The Man' of the bedroom for once. Usually, I was… most of the time. Now… it's her turn."

"You bet it is." Ibuki agreed as she held him close for a loving embrace. "Are you sure you feel confident about it? I'm not gonna make it easy for you."

"Yeah, I'm sure. You can do whatever you want and I'll obey every single command. I promise."

"Good. I'm lookin' forward to it." After that was said, Ibuki slowly wrapped her strong and slender arms around her husband's neck and he complied to the touch by gently grabbing her love handles before he slowly raised her up to his face and they shared another extremely passionate lip-lock for the next five minutes. The audience cheered even louder as they saw this and Tyviiana couldn't be any more proud of her old friend for being such a gentleman.

Ten minutes later, back in another cab ride…

"Damn, that felt good." Ibuki sighed as she casually leaned back with her hands behind her head next to Tommy on his right. "These people are really happy to see you again and I'm feelin' just as happy seeing them so happy."

"Heh, heh… in your way of speakin'… I'll have to agree." Tommy agreed, leaning back just as casually, making him look like he was in complete chill mode. "After your sexy performance after the proposal, I'm actually anxious for more… especially since it's for makin' a baby."

"Hell, yeah! I'm gonna be so rough on you… you'll even forget it's for a baby!"

"Whoa! Now that's what I like to hear, Sexy-buki!"

"Now, I'm nervous about it." Tyviiana muttered after hearing this. This made the newlyweds chuckle together in response to that statement. "Anyway, where are we going now?"

"We're goin' to this special resort my parents went to for their honeymoon. It seems that animals are runnin' thangs around here." 

"Why say that?"

"Back at that resturant, called Evan's Savanah, that tiny cheetah, Evan, was the founder and CEO of the place. If I remember correctly, I believe a real dragon takes over as founder and CEO of this resort. His owner is the co-founder."

"Ooooh!" Ibuki cooed. "I bet that's so cool! Is he friendly?"

"Of course, he is. The kids love him the most because he ironically looks like someone they recognize very well. I won't tell you who because it's obvious."

"Can you, at least, give me a hint as to why it's obvious?"

"He puts on a 'toothless' grin every once in a while."

"…oh, no… no way! Really?"

"Yeah, really. I have a feelin' that you'll love the dragon, too."

"Let's hope so. I'm excited!"

Fifteen minutes later, at the Angelik Dragon Paradise Resort…

Tommy, Ibuki, and Tyviiana just got out the cab once again and was immediately greeted by a friendly elderly man in his upper 60s with long gray hair that stopped at his upper legs, had baby blue eyes, and he was wearing a casual outfit of a simple white t-shirt, blue jeans, and white flipflops.

"Well, well, well… first, I meet parents of Tommy on their honeymoon here…" He started in his authentic Russian accent. "…now I see Tommy himself with his new wife. Which one of these lovely ladies is your wife?"

"Ibuki right here." Tommy replied as he held Ibuki close to him on his left. The man applauded with a smile.

"Awww, congratulations! My name is Rykii Vloso! It's such a pleasure to see you moving on with your life. How has family been since I've met them?"

"They've been good. Finally got my Mom outta prison after sixteen years."

"Excellent! And Ibuki… my goodness… beauty and cuteness can make deadly, but sexual combination indeed. Nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Ibuki replied. "Tommy tells me that this place is owned and founded by a dragon. Is that true?" Right after that was said, a mighty roar of a dragon in flight was heard from behind Rykii, who never turned around, but kept a cool smile. The three of them looked at where the roar came from and a pure white dragon that nearly resembled Toothless from _How to Train Your Dragon_ just landed right beside his owner, having his huge wings with a twenty foot wingspan droop down as he sat like a good dragon. The only thing this dragon was absent of… was a tail! "Whoa! I guess it is… and he's just adorable! What's his name?"

"His name is XVT, which means Xtra Vertical Toothless. Basically, this shows you all that he just loves to fly. This is indeed owner, founder, and CEO of this resort. He found this as a plain valley at first, but as we humans began to flourish, so did the limited space here. So, I decided to help him preserve it and become his official owner and co-founder. He'll take you to any part of the resort and you newlyweds can enjoy yourselves."

"Cool! Tommy, I am ready to relax!"

"So am I." Tommy agreed with his signature handsome smile. "Tyviiana can't come, can she?"

"Sorry, but this resort is only for couples, not sightseekers. XVT has an issue about them and he's just worried that someone might destroy his only home's beautiful terrain. Tyviiana woman will stay with me in office. I have TV, food, games, and plenty of drinks."

"That's fine." Tyviiana agreed with understanding. "Tommy, you and Ibuki can go and enjoy yourselves. I'll be fine with Rykii until you two decide to leave."

"Thanks, Tyvii." Tommy replied as he approached XVT with Ibuki, who was already on the dragon's back when they got there. Tommy was assisted by his wife until he was on top of the dragon and he roared in response. "A'ight, XVT. Think you can take us to that huge waterfall in the very back? I'm ready to do some skinny dippin' with Ibuki."

"Only if you let me strip down for you first." Ibuki taunted seductively, making Tommy drool on the inside, but kept his cool chillin' face on the outside.

"Okay, baby. As long as that's gonna be entertainment…"

"…oh, it'll be delicious to you. I promise."

Twenty minutes later, at the huge beautiful waterfall and its lake's edge…

XVT, Ibuki, and Tommy just arrived before the newlyweds carefully got off the dragon and just admired the scenery before them. Tommy took in a deep breath and took in the fresh air with a smile before he spoke.

"Ahhh, gotta love that freshwater aroma." He sighed. "This is Angelik Falls, one of the most beautiful waterfalls Russia has to offer. This lake in particular ain't got no fish to bother us, so we're free to swim in it anytime."

"Good." Ibuki replied as she prepared to take off her blue tank top. Tommy looked at her with a hint of nervousness, unbeknownst to her. "It feels so comfortable out here, too… wow." After that was said, she slipped off her top, showing Tommy her bare back, before she prepared to take off her blue jeans. She took her time with it, however, for she knew her husband was watching from behind. "Like what you see, baby?"

"Huh?" Tommy babbled randomly, snapping himself out of the trance. This made Ibuki giggle.

"Awww, you've been enjoying it for a minute, huh? Well, keep lookin', babe." After that was said, Ibuki finally loosened her belt and was ready to unbutton and unzip her jeans as she made a seductive side-glance towards Tommy, making him show a sly smile rather than a nervous smirk. "Awww, look at you now. You want me this much, don't you?"

"Girl, don't make me beg." Tommy taunted as he just took off his football jersey, exposing that sexy six pack Ibuki loved so much. Ibuki saw this and just moaned with satisfaction.

"Ooooh… you're sweaty, Tommy-chan. I like that." After that was said, Ibuki turned back around and slowly slid her pants off as she was bending over as sexually as she could, showing him her bare ass as well, seeing that she pulled down her underwear as well. Tommy couldn't help but stare at it as he just pulled down his pants, showing off his white boxers, before he kicked off his shoes. "You did a good job fuckin' this ass, baby."

"You made it cute and spicy all at once." Tommy agreed as Ibuki stood up straight, still keeping her naked body hidden by her backside. The linebacker didn't waste any time approaching her from behind and slowly turned her around to make her face him, finally able to see her naked body and she never blushed nor turn away. "Damn! Every time I see you naked, it just turns me on, girl… no matter where we are."

"Same goes to you, Tommy-chan." Ibuki looked down at his boxers and without any hesitation, she slowly grabbed the sides and pulled them down to see his huge dick before her, making her lick her lips with anxiety. "MMmmmm! Lookin' good, but if you want me, you gotta catch me in a swimming chase. Ready? GO!" Just seconds after that last statement, Ibuki used her impressive breakneck speed and dove into the lake like a torpedo. Tommy shook his head with humor before he kicked off his boxers and dove in after her. He was underwater for a quick minute before he came back up to the surface and looked all over for Ibuki. He was stumped for about two minutes before he was unexpectedly dragged down under the water by Ibuki, who showed a cute smile while she held her breath. Both of their naked bodies floated in the water for a moment before Tommy tried to grab her wrist, so he could pull her up to him for a quick kiss, but Ibuki winked before she quickly turned around and swam off in her super fast speed. Tommy, showing a look of confidence, swam after her just as fast.

After about a good three minutes of a chase, Ibuki came up to the surface for air first and looked around for Tommy. Two minutes went by and he never came up. This started to worry her.

"Tommy?" She called out. "I know I was a little too fast for you, but c'mon! This isn't funny! Where are you, Tommy-chan?" Another two minutes… nothing. "TOMMY! WHERE ARE YOU?" She frantically searched all over the surface for her husband for about three more minutes before she stopped and just grew extremely concerned. "Tommy, quit playin'! Don't drown on me! Come on out!"

Unbeknownst to her, however, Tommy was sneaking up on her like an alligator with his eyes and nose above the surface, having a look of sexual desire in his green eyes. Just thirty slow seconds later, he slowly sank back underwater right when he was just inches from Ibuki's naked body. Hearing a small splash behind her, she turned around and saw nothing. This never turned off her worry mode as she disregarded the sound and turned back around to continue her cries for Tommy. Fifteen seconds went by and, before she knew it, Tommy made a playful roar as he jumped out of the water and pounced on her, taking her down with him and they shared a passionate kiss while they were under the surface for a quick ten seconds before they both came back up to the surface and caught their own breaths as they spoke.

"Gotcha, baby." Tommy taunted with his sexy smile. Ibuki giggled in between breaths.

"Once again, you're starting to be as sneaky as me." She admitted with a cute smile. "That was a good trick… a little too good. Were you behind me the whole time?"

"Yeah. Sorry if I scared you."

"That's okay. I needed a thrill and you gave it to me. That was fun, though."

"Yeah, it was. Didn't think I could swim, did you?"

"I have yet to see you swim until now and you are just awesome at it! Big as you are, I never thought you could even float!"

"Looks can be deceiving, baby… and since I caught you, I get to tease you." After that was said, Tommy snuck a hand underwater while he kept his focus on Ibuki, who showed a sly smile.

"You did catch me, didn't you-OOOO-HOO-HOO!" She suddenly felt two fingers rub right on her extremely sensitive clit and she immediately grabbed on to her husband's neck for support as she felt her small orgasms come every ten seconds, making her buck her hips in reflexive response. "Oh… OH, SHIT! Tommy, you bastard… aaaaaaahhh!"

"Heh, heh… I'd knew I still get ya, Sexy-buki. How was it when you had to play with this thing while I was away at a football game?"

"Oooooh… it was… ahhhhh, yeah… it was sensational. I didn't last…(gasp)… very long, but… uhhhh… it was tooootally worth it."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, baby." Seven more minutes went by since Tommy started his sexual clit massage and Ibuki made one final harsh gasp as she felt her final orgasm erupt all over her body and she immediately jumped on her husband, having her smooth legs wrapped around his waist and her slender arms still holding on to his neck while she screamed her ecstasy out to the beautiful blue sky for the next two minutes. Tommy kept his attractive smile in check as he watched his cute wife ride through her most intense orgasm yet. It lasted for a whopping five minutes before she finally calmed down and just held on to him as an embrace, gently laying her head down on left shoulder. "Mm! Damn, girl. Sensitive as that is, I'm still not so scared of you bein' 'The Man'."

"Phew! Well, I'll be ready for anything once that time comes. You're already proving yourself worthy of handling my rough nature." Ibuki paused as she slightly lifted her head to look right into her husband's eyes as she stroked a finger between his hard pecs. "I'll be quite the sex monster to you, ya know."

"I know you will, baby… and I'm ready. I'm confident now."

"Ooooh, don't make me so anxious." After that was said, Ibuki slowly pulled herself up for a passionate kiss and Tommy held her closer to him as his tongue slithered into his wife's mouth, making the kiss last for more than ten minutes. XVT watched this scene from where he laid, at the very edge of the lake, and just smiled at the romantic scene before him. He hasn't seen this much passion between a married couple since he watched Tommy's parents do the same thing in the same lake. He even remembers secretly watching their parents have their roughest sex in order to create Tommy in a hotel room not too far from the lake. He hummed at the thought of it, since he sensed that Tommy and Ibuki were planning on having a baby, and thought of an excellent idea right when his peaceful owner approached him with Tyviiana close behind.

"Well, you were right about them being so passionate." Rykii finished as he just placed a hand on XVT's front left leg. "And you say they're planning on having a child, huh?"

"Yes." Tyviiana replied. "They're planning on starting the extreme sex for it right when they get back home."

"Awww, well… I do wish them good luck. Come to think of it, Tommy's parents did the same here, right in this very resort."

"They did?"

"Yep. XVT watched it all and shared it to me the next morning. 'It was amazing', he said. 'They fucked each other like it was gonna be their very last time.' It made me wanna wish I could've watched them."

"So, they made love to create Tommy here, but moved back home during Karthaji's pregnacy, where Tommy was born!"

"Exactly. I think Tommy and Ibuki can top it, being part of a new generation and all. I'll talk to them about it when they head to the sauna. I could use a steamer myself. You stay out here and feed XVT. He… somehow… hates feeding himself. I just ordered ten large cheese pizzas for him and once they get here, we'll be in the sauna."

"Okay. Will he eat all ten?"

"He always does. He confessed it himself in small joke, which turned out to be serious. He said that if he could eat ten pizzas, they would just be covered with five different cheeses… and damn, he was serious! There's only one type of cheese on them, but he still ate all ten of 'em."

"Wow. Okay. Well, good luck in your conversation with Tommy and Ibuki. I'm sure Tommy will be the most riveted."

"So do I."

Thrity minutes later, in the Dragon Spirit Sauna…

Rykii was already sitting in the steamed room in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He had impressive muscles for an elderly man, but that never bothered him. Just two minutes after he's been sitting, Tommy came in and was surprised to see Rykii just sitting there ever so casually.

"Hey, Rykii!" He greeted as he made one final adjustment on his towel around his waist before he sat down next to Rykii on his left. "I didn't know you relaxed yourself every once in a while around here."

"An old man's gotta tend to his nerves, too, ya know." Rykii replied. "Wowwee. Ibuki drools over you like crazy with that impressive body ya got there. Mind if I ask what's your secret behind it?"

"Basically everyday work-outs and taking vitamins every morning. Keeps my energy up and my body in good shape."

"And no wonder. You can keep up with your sexually demanding wife. Speakin' of, there's somethin' I gotta tell you." Immediately after that was said, Ibuki just came in with her towel wrapping her entire naked body, minus her smooth legs and slender arms, as she sat next to Tommy on his left. "You remember that your parents spent their honeymoon here, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, they also had their most intense night of sex here as well… all just to create you."

"…Whaaaaa?"

"Whoa." Ibuki muttered with just as much shock. "That's hot."

"You bet, it is. XVT just explained a perfectly good idea as he followed me here and before he left with Tyviiana for his lunch break. He figured that, since your parents made you here, Tommy, you and Ibuki can make your baby here as well. I promise XVT won't be watching this time. What do ya say? It'll be a story worth telling to your family once you return."

"Ye-"

"Wait-a-minute!" Tommy playfully showed his palm right in her face and she looked at it with a slick smile on her adorable face. "Gotta think it over first."

"We've done it so many times, Tommy! At first, you were nervous… then, you gain confidence. Now you're being nervous again! What gives?"

"Chill, baby girl. I just wanna lay down a few rules."

"Rules? RULES? HAHAHAHAHAHA! You can't make any rules when it comes to makin' babies. The only one rule you can have is just to have fun!"

"Yeah, but-"

"BUT nothin'! We're makin' this baby here and you can't stop me!"

"Depends on the atmosphere, then."

"Ugh!"

"Did I forget to mention that the room has a waterbed?" Rykii asked with sarcasm.

"…let's do it, baby!" Ibuki and Tommy simultaneously after a thirty second silence as they looked at each other with greed in their eyes.

"It is the same exact room your parents used, Tommy. So, I've been keeping it clean and in good shape for you. They did leave a few mementos you could look at as a sign of their passion and how hot it was."

"Sweet!" Tommy sighed as he stood up and carried his naked wife, who still had the towel on. "Shall we begin, Sexy-buki?"

"Whenever you're ready, Tommy-chan." Ibuki replied as she held him close as she was being carried. Rykii just stayed where he sat and leaned back with a cool smile on his face, proud of his handiwork.

"Memory Lane is such an easy place to talk about and visit all at the same time these days… especially for this younger generation." He said to himself proudly. "If it turns out to be hotter than when Tommy's parents were here, then my God! I envy these young bloods."

To be continued…


	23. Operation HAT: Ibuki Style

Chapter 23: Operation HAT: Ibuki's Version of GIVE

(Pure lemony goodness coming your way. You have been warned. LOL Enjoy.)

In less than a day since Tommy and Ibuki's honeymoon, Tommy learns that his parents have spent their honeymoon at the Angelik Dragon Paradise Resort twenty-two years ago… and had sex that was hot enough to create him. Now, he's ready to make that happen again with him and Ibuki, hoping to create a new breed of humans the world will never be prepared for. For now, he was ready to get seriously banged up by his wife without any hesitation and he promises to obey every order she gives him.

Just fifteen minutes after leaving the sauna, the newlyweds arrived at the very same hotel room where Tommy's parents made the biggest whoopie in the history of the Jones' family, ready to top that and make a new record. As soon as Tommy managed to kick the door closed behind him, he gently placed Ibuki down on her feet and she headed for the left side of the bed, grabbing Karthaji's old, but clean white robe before she slipped off the towel and placed it on, smelling the fresh ocean scent as she cuddled next to the puff.

"Here's one memento." Ibuki started as she tied the belt perfectly and not too tight around her waist. "Your mom's old robe. I know she must've been naked under this, too."

"I can imagine." Tommy agreed as he saw his father's blue robe with just as much clean softness before he slipped out of his towel and tried the robe on. It amazingly fitted him perfectly. "Whoa! It fits!"

"And your dad is small in size compared to you, too. It's a bit short, though… tee, hee!" Ibuki giggled as she saw how high the robe was on his legs. It was over mid-thigh and Ibuki's mind was already trying to look up under the robe as she looked at it. "Awwww, I can almost see your sperm-filled coin purse."

"You nasty girl. This better be good then. What are you callin' it?"

"You really expect it to have a name, huh?"

"It has to. After I did Operation GIVE on you back in college so many times, I'm anxious to know what your version's called."

"Oh, okay. I see you, baby. I'm callin' it Operation HAT."

"HAT?"

"Have All of Tommy."

"The 'of' is left out. Clever!"

"Thank ya. The rules are simple. Just obey me and you're free to torture me any way you wish afterwards. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am. We're goin' all out, right?"

"You betcha! Now… take off that short robe."

"…naw."

"What?"

"I wanna play a small game of 'Ibuki Says'."

"But… ooooh." Ibuki did a double take on the idea before she made a cute smile with a hint of some lust. "…That's not a bad idea actually. That can make this more fun. Okay, I'll let your suggestion slide this time, but next time, I'm gonna be callin' the shots."

"Okay, baby. Now, say what?"

"Ibuki says… take off that short robe." Tommy did so and just stood there completely naked before his wife on the other side of the bed. The young kunoichi master purred on the inside as she slipped out of her robe, exposing her naked beauty, making Tommy drool on the inside. "Good boy. Now, Ibuki says… lay on your back." Again, Tommy obeyed, keeping his sexy smile in check. Ibuki giggled like the valley girl she was before she carefully got on the bed with him and climbed on top of him, having her smooth legs around his waist without making contact to his erection behind her, except her ass was nearly touching it. She just sat there on top of him for about a minute to admire him for a moment. She still couldn't believe that she finally got this far in her life. All those years of searching for a boyfriend finally paid off in a thrilling way. She sure will miss those early days, though. She kept her adorable smile as she continued her commands. "Aww, you're such a good boy so far. Ibuki says… tease my tits."

"Whoa!" Tommy muttered with excitement before he obeyed the next command in a matter of seconds, gently getting a firm hold on both of Ibuki's breasts, making her lean her head back and moan in pure ecstasy, surrendering to the touch. During the boob massage, Tommy was licking his lips with greed, feeling some moisture ooze out of the nipples after three minutes. Ibuki felt it as well and she looked down at her lustful husband, sensing what he wanted to do next. She gladly obliged. "Ibuki says… suck my tits… and take your time with it." Tommy chuckled with satisfaction after that last statement and he slowly sat up before he carefully started kissing her left nipple, making her moan even louder. The sensation was too much for her and she was just too weak to hold him closer. Her arms just went limp and she was just taking it all her way. Now she knew how her husband felt when she did nearly the exact same thing to him back in college after his first win for his football team.

"Ooooooh, yeah…" Ibuki moaned as she tried to watch her husband suckle her like the very thing they're making right now. "…look at how cute you are. Now I understand why you were so weak when I did this to you back in college. Right back at me on this one." All Tommy could do was chuckle as his response. He was really enjoying Ibuki's delicious cream and never wanted to stop. "Ooooh… you're really enjoying it, aren't you? Yeah! Ibuki says keep sucking me. Don't stop. Don't STOP!" And Tommy sure didn't stop for a while. After another two minutes of suckling her left nipple, he went to the right and still played with her left with a free hand.

Ibuki was in heaven at this point and never wanted Tommy to stop anytime soon. After a good ten minutes since he started on the right, Ibuki's pussy started getting wet and she frantically reached her left hand down toward it and started playing with her clit out of desperation, making her groan and gasp alternatively in between. Tommy felt that moisture at his waist and he moaned with satisfaction. He was so excited on the inside, ready to shoot his seed into his wife anytime now, but he had to wait until she told him to do so. He started growing impatient at this point and Ibuki sensed it with her trusty sixth sense, stopping the suckling momentarily to give him a pretty serious look on her usually cute face.

"Uh-uh, Tommy." Ibuki sang out playfully. "Are you getting impatient with me? Aren't you enjoying my tasty cream? Hm?"

"Uh, huh…" Tommy replied with red cheeks of embarrassment, ashamed that his anxiety was discovered despite the passionate moment. "…yeah, baby. I'm lovin' your cream."

"Well, how come you're so apprehensive about your opportunity to finally make me a baby? You wanna do it that bad?"

"Can I start now… please?"

"Mm-hm. Impatient. Not following my rules. You're getting punished for this."

_Aw, shit… _Was all Tommy could mutter in his mind with fear in his chest.

"Ibuki says… let me get off for a minute." Tommy sighed with sadness and nervousness all at once as he leaned back and lay flat on his back on the bed before Ibuki carefully got off of him. She just stood there for a brief moment and scanned his sweaty and sexy body. She saw how straight his solider was standing and licked her lips as she stared at it for thirty seconds before she lowered her eyes down further to look at his balls. She made an evil grin as she stared at them before she carefully placed an open palm over the very tip of his dick and this made Tommy a little petrified as he looked at what was going on.

"Ibuki… what, uh… what-the-hell-are-you-doin'?" He asked with horror. Ibuki kept her evil grin in check as she completely ignored his question while she got on her knees on the bed next to him, getting more comfortable. Tommy realized what was about to happen and panicked. "IBUKI! If you do your damn Yoroitoshi on my dick…"

"You'll do what?" Ibuki taunted, showing no sign of fear on her face. Tommy remained wide eyed as she continued. "You got impatient on me and I never got a good orgasm. Therefore, you must suffer the consequences. Just be glad that I'm not gonna harm your bags of sperm. Now… Ibuki says…"

"I won't let you name the baby, if you do this."

"…" Ibuki froze in the middle of her last statement and just looked at her husband with wide brown eyes, completely stunned and speechless at what he just said. Tommy chuckled in his mind at his handiwork and sat up with confidence.

"Yeah… I knew you wanted to name the baby all this time… and I'll guarantee that you won't be able to, if you torture me like this."

"You bastard…"

"I was about to make you cum in your tits anyway. You were getting close, weren't you?"

"Yeah…" 

"Well, then… let me finish, Sexy-buki." Tommy didn't even give Ibuki a chance to speak in her defense before he quickly continued to suckle her right nipple with all of his strength while he continued to fondle with her left with his free hand, making her lean her head back in pure ecstasy as she groaned her loudest along the way. Her pussy became extremely moist was anticipation and she continued her frantic thrusting with her left hand as she tried so hard to hold Tommy closer with her right. After ten more minutes, Tommy's suckling got more intense and he moaned at the feeling of Ibuki's pussy juices spreading all over his pelvis and crotch before he helped her out by simply placing a gentle hand right on her wet clit and she groaned even louder at the feeling as she quickened her self-pleasuring speed. Five slow minutes went by before she finally came at both her squirting pussy and her tits, making Tommy watch her go all out on herself for the next three minutes. He chuckled at her as he just leaned back and enjoyed himself. "There. Satisfied?"

"Oooooh… aaahhhhh… that's… that's all you gotta say after all this shit?" Ibuki asked playfully, trying to make a serious look, but couldn't help her cute smile as she giggled. "Ya know, for someone who's desperate for a baby, you sure are an overconfident douche."

"'Cause… I learned from the best."

"Karmayah?"

"Naw, my Dad."

"Huh? Your dad? What the fuck did he ever teach you?"

"I remember tellin' him that I wanted to be a dad someday and he gave advice on one simple phrase: 'Give your girl everything you got and keep a cool head. Just chill.'… and that's exactly what I'm doin'."

"Huh! What a coincidence! You do look kinda hot when you chill like that." Ibuki leaned a little closer to her husband's face, giving his hard pecs a good massage on the way, making her look super cute. "Just for that, I'll let you do what you want now. I'm guessing you wanna start making our baby, right?"

"Yeah, so… uh…" Tommy paused as he gently held Ibuki by her love handles and carefully flipped over until she was the one lying on her back. Tension was already peaking for her as she laid there and prepared for the hottest sex she's ever had in her entire life. She was 'The Man' for a little while, like she promised, but now, it was Tommy's turn to shine. "…there we go. Comfy, Sexy-buki?"

"As comfy as I'll ever be. Don't take it easy on me, okay?"

"Say what? Did you say 'DON'T take it easy'?"

"That's what I said. If I start cryin', don't stop. If I start to go insane, don't stop. If I tell you to stop…"

"…don't stop."

"Yeah, you're gettin' it, baby. Alright, enough talk! Take me and make me a desperate bitch! I'm ready for anything! Don't let nothin' keep you back! NOTHING!"

With his signature seductive smile on his face, Tommy took a gentle hold on Ibuki's shoulders before he slowly eased into her wet love tunnel and she immediately screamed out her ecstasy to the ceiling at her loudest capacity. Tommy cringed a little himself, taking in the feeling of making love without protection for the first time. It just felt too good to him after a few seconds and he maintained his pumping speed. At this point, the newlyweds were just taking it easy for a while. Ibuki felt small sensations come and go every ten seconds and they were getting better and better by each passing minute. She lowered her screaming down to just soft moans as she looked down at what was happening at her pussy. She nearly drooled at what she saw and it triggered her into grinding back on him in reflexive response while she held his lower back with desperation, making Tommy stare right into her brown eyes.

"Mmm! Damn, baby." Tommy started as he felt his adorable wife grind on him from underneath. "Feels good, doesn't it?"

"I don't think it can get any better!" Ibuki groaned in between thrusts. "Aaaaahhh, yeah…"

"Good. I'm glad you're enjoyin' it, Sexy-buki." After that was said, Tommy's pumping speed got fifty percent faster, making Ibuki stop her humping momentarily to take it in, making a horrified gasp as her eyes went wide with surprise.

"HOLY SHIT! Aaaaaaahhh… YES… YEEES… that's what I'm talkin' about, baby! AAAAAHHHHH!"

Tommy never said a word as he maintained his fast speed while he carefully leaned towards her and held her like a delicate stuffed animal within his big, strong, and warm arms before he started smothering her neck with delicious kisses, making her moan even louder with just as much lust for more. Hearing those cute sounds right in his left ear was just mesmerizing to him and it was like he was completely under a hypnotic spell mixed with so much sexual desire that was just too hot to handle. He moaned in between his thrusts as he felt his seed was ready to explode any minute and Ibuki, feeling the same thing, wanted him to go even faster. So, she whispered a question Tommy never expected:

"Tommy, do you want more than one baby?" This question made Tommy do an immediate double take as he looked at her with a look of complete shock.

"What did you just ask me?" He asked her with surprise. "You're the first woman to ask a question like that during sex."

"I'm being honest with you, Tommy-chan. You're workin' that good shit like you wanna get more than one and I kinda like it. So, do you?"

"The real question is… do _you_? You're the one who has to carry them."

"I don't care at this POINT! AAAAAAHHHHHH! OOOOO! JUST PROVE TO ME THAT YOU WANT IT AND GIVE IT TO ME! GIVE IT TO ME NOW! YAAAAAAA!"

"Shit… a'ight, Ibuki-baby. I'll answer your question in the best way I can." After that was said, Tommy wasted no time on increasing his pumping speed to breakneck and this made Ibuki hold him close to her out of extreme desperation, never wanting him to stop. It was getting too intense for the both of them at this point as they were both sweating bullets, completely drenching the bed comforter, bed sheets, and the mattress. Tommy was indeed following in his parents' footsteps when it came to making love hot enough to make a baby. His dream of becoming a father was closing in fast and he wanted it more than anything at this point. The final stretch was near and they both held each other close as their screams and moans got louder and louder at practically every thrust. Both Ibuki and Tommy were literally excited about this peaking performance.

"AAAAAHHHH, TOMMY!" Ibuki started as she held his drenched body closer to her, feeling his rapid breathing against her breasts. "Ooooooh, damn… you're soooo hot right now... I'm…. aaaaahhh… I'm getting close!"

"Same here, baby… mmm…" Tommy agreed as he tried so hard to go faster, but to no avail. He just maintained his current breakneck speed. "…ooooooh… Ibuki-chan…"

"Yes, Tommy-chan? Aaaaaaah, fuck…"

"Whatever happens… ugh… after this shit… aaah… we're gonna support each other and… ahhh… do whatever we can to make it work… a'ight?"

"Ooooh, Tommy… yes… I promise… I PROMISE! AAAAAAAHHHHH! FUCK! SHOOT IT, BABY! GIVE IT TO ME! HELL, YEAH!"

"AAAAAHHHH! SHIT, IBUKI! YOU DESPERATE BITCH! OHHHH… DAMN… IBUKIIIIII!"

"YAAAAAAA, TOMMYYYYYY!"

At one final thrust, they both screamed at the very top of their lungs as they held it at that position, having Tommy shoot his seed right into her and it lasted for a good eight minutes before they finally calmed down, making Tommy collapse right onto the carpet floor on the right side of the bed, making a loud _**THUD! **_as he landed. This made Ibuki giggle as she looked down at him and remained on her back on the bed.

"You okay, baby?" She asked ever-so-sweetly. Tommy took in a few breaths as he slowly sat up and shook the dizziness out of him before he spoke.

"Yeah, Ibuki." He replied before he happened to grab his boxer shorts on his way as he was standing up. "Yeah, I'm fine." He still continued to breathe out his exhaustion as he leaned his hands on the same right side, making Ibuki smile. "Damn… did we work it or did we work it?"

"We worked our asses off! That's what happened!" Ibuki slowly sat up, holding the comforter against her chest to hide her naked body. "I'm hoping we were just as wild and crazy as your parents were."

"I doubt it. Since I'm an only child, I don't think they did as much of a hard fuckin' job as we did. I'm anxious about this whole experience, but seriously? Did you really ask me if I wanted more than one baby? I had to make sure I heard that correctly and it wasn't my brain playin' some shitty trick on me!"

"Yeah, ya heard me, Tommy-chan. I really did ask you that and I was just wondering… because you were really pounding me earlier!"

"I was desperate. So, after all that fuckin' shit, was Operation HAT a success?"

"Well, the only way to determine that is through a pregnancy test. We'll do that when we get back home."

"A'ight. For now, though… (yawns)… I'm ready to hit the sack… and ain't talkin' about mine."

"Tee, hee… I am."

"What?"

"Nothin'. Good night." Ibuki immediately fell asleep after that, making Tommy look at her with a look of humor before he fell asleep next to her, holding her within his warm arms.

Two days later, on the morning flight back home to Japan…

Tyviiana and Tommy were sitting in their seats while they patiently waited for Ibuki to exit the lavatory. It turned out that Ibuki couldn't wait to get home to do the pregnancy test and she wanted to do it now, so she could surprise her friends and family later on. Tommy chuckled at that thought, making Tyviiana giggle with him.

"Tee, hee, hee… okay…" Tyviiana finished. "Why are we laughing?"

"I was just thinking about how everyone's gonna react when they hear about this honeymoon." Tommy replied as he was laid back. "The whole visit was pretty short, but it was short enough to find most of the treasures I needed."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was actually praying for your homecoming since I've been revived. I'm so thankful that you still thought of me, even after I died. Was I really that special to you?"

"Are you kiddin'? Before you died, you were my everything. You treated me right, took care of me when I was sick, and fed me whenever you just felt like it. When Chrome killed you, I was extremely devastated… until I met Sasha. Turns out she was even worse."

"So I've heard. She planned to kill Ibuki once you hooked up with her, but Darikosho secretly told her not to… for some odd reason…"

"You, Tyviiana."

"…" The short, but cute woman smiled at that statement before she allowed her old friend to continue.

"Darikosho knew he brought you back to life and never said a thing to me about it. So, he told Sasha not to kill Ibuki in order to keep me happy and alive all at once in order to be prepared to see you again."

"…wow. I never knew that."

"It's all for the sake of my formerly fragile heart. Ibuki made it stronger and I'm hoping it'll be fully indestructible soon."

"TOMMY! COME HERE!" Ibuki yelled from the cracked open lavatory in the rear end of the plane. Tommy responded to the call immediately by dashing to the door in less than ten seconds and he gently pushed the door open to see his wife, dressed in a baby blue tank top and blue jeans with matching blue and black shoes. She had an anxious smile on her face as she looked at her pregnancy test, waiting for the results. "Ready to see the results with me?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." Tommy approached her with a pleasant smile before he looked at the pending test with her. Three silent minutes passed and they both smiled as they slowly started leaking the most joyful tears they have ever unleashed.

Thirty minutes later, back at home in Tokyo at the Glade…

Tommy's parents, Ibuki's parents, the entire Glade, Sarai, Karmayah, Kendra, Bobby, all of Don's tanuki friends as well as Don himself, all of the Street Fighters, and Snow were all gathered in the main central fields of the hidden village when Ibuki, Tommy, and Tyviiana just made it through the bamboo forest. Tommy stood proud before the huge crowd, letting Tyviiana remain on his right shoulder while Ibuki partially embraced him on his left side.

"Hey, ya'll." Tommy greeted. "First of all, I hope you all are just as excited as we are. You're probably wondering why you're all here. Well, for starters, this is Tyviiana on my right shoulder here." Tyviiana nodded in agreement as she waved. "She was my beloved until her ex killed her, thanks to his father's request. Darikosho knew I would see her again, so he brought her back to life. Now, she my adopted sister… sort of."

"Awww, that's nice, Tommy. I knew she would be hiding in Russia somewhere." Karthaji commented. "Now, I was told you had bigger news. What is it?"

"Before I… well…" Tommy paused as he looked down at Ibuki, who showed her most adorable smile in her life since she met him. "... Before _we _tell you the big news, I just wanna warn the ladies. Try not to faint and fellas, hold your cheers until after Don and Ibuki's parents announces their thoughts on it."

"Got it!" Everybody exclaimed.

"Okay. Ibuki, you ready?"

"Totally, baby." Ibuki replied. "Okay, on the count of three, we say it together. Ready? One… two… three!"

Then, they said at the same time:

"We're expecting a baby!"

To be continued…

(Can't you imagine? LOL Anyway, the conclusion is peaking. Feel free to express what you think so far and no flames as you may already be very aware of… I am extremely flammable.)


	24. The Stages of PregnancyBuki

Chapter 24: The Stages of Pregnancy-Buki

"…say-what?" Sean muttered after about fifteen minutes of a stunned silence. The announcement was indeed official and true. Ibuki and Tommy are finally expecting their first child and ninety percent of the audience could not believe their ears. "Ibuki's pregnant? No way."

"Yeah, it's true." Tommy protested with a proud smile, holding his wife close to him. "We spent about three days in my homecountry, had some hot sex on the first day, and well… she's pregnant by the time we get on the flight back home two days later."

"YAY!" Don cheered as he ran up to the couple and just stood on his hind legs, not wanting to harm Ibuki's unborn baby. "Ibuki, I'm so proud of ya, sis! I hope you take it easy with the patience. I know kids can be a handful. Trust me. A certain devoted father told me all about it."

"I'm… guessing it's Hakan." Ibuki quoted with humor. "Am I right?"

"Indeed, you are correct." Hakan replied as he approached Tommy and Ibuki. "You see, I am a proud father of seven daughters! SEVEN! My street fighting ways don't effect my parenthood lifestyle, but it's for good protection, yes?"

"Yeah, I get it. It's just… how can you deal with that? It looks hard."

"Eh, yes… it is pretty hard for the first few months into the birth of the children, but after a while, they become joyful little packages you just cannot ignore. They aim to please the parents at all times until they grow old enough to make own decisions. Right now, my daughters are not at that stage, but it seems like Viper's daughter is."

"She's a trooper." C. Viper agreed. "I love Lauren more than anything, but my job keeps me away from her sometimes. I sure hope you have better luck raising yours."

"I'm sure I will." Ibuki agreed. "I might be the odd one out when it comes to what I may get, though."

"Oh?" Hakan asked.

"Yeah." Tommy replied. "I remember tellin' Ibuki about this dream I had back in college. I had a dream that I was the president of Animals of Happiness and I came home one day and saw Ibuki carrying a baby boy in her arms. I knew it was a boy because it was in a blue blanket."

"Awww, well… all we can do is pray for your success."

"Yeah, but Mommy… Daddy… what do you two think?" Ibuki slowly approached her parents, who just looked at her with tears of happiness. "I know you two have the confidence to be the best grandparents ever."

"And we can't deny that fact, sweetheart." Dyvokhan agreed as he carefully hugged his pregnant daughter with his wife. "We'll give all our blessings to your child and help you with it, if you like."

"Thank you so much! I promise to make it easy for you."

And so the many stages of Ibuki's pregnancy began.

First Month

Tommy was sitting in the living room of his newest family home, which was ironically right across across from Animals of Happiness, and he was continuing to read his Fatherhood 101 book he bought from college. He chuckled at a certain part on changing diapers, shaking his head with humor on the way.

"Getting a gag reflex from changin' diapers… what else is new?" He muttered with just as much hilarity before Ibuki just came out of the kitchen with the biggest grilled chicken chef's salad, drenched in authentic Italian dressing, he's ever seen… all for her! "Whoa, Ibuki-baby! That's enough salad fo' a whole army!"

"I know, ain't it?" Ibuki exclaimed with a cute smile as she took her seat, turned on the tv to an anime channel, and just sat back and enjoyed her salad as if it was only a small side salad. As soon as she took in her first forkful, Tommy just couldn't help but laugh. "Don't laugh at me!"

"Sorry, baby… but, uh… you ain't gonna share that salad?"

"Um… no! I'm not just feeding myself, ya know."

"Then how many are we feedin' in there? Five?"

"Beats me. My first check-up isn't until next Monday. Maybe we'll find out then. For now, I am enjoyin' this monster appetite I got. Mmmm-hmm!"

"Wow. Now, I've seen everything."

A week later, at the Tokyo International Hospital…

Ibuki, dressed in a specially made tank top and shorts outfit with matching blue and white shoes, and Tommy, dressed in nothing but a huge pair of overalls and sneakers, just arrived in a random room and waited for their nurse to arrive. Ibuki sat on the comfortable hospital bed while Tommy just relaxed in a chair and they decided to start a conversation.

"Your first month's goin' good so far, baby." Tommy started. "You have yet to get mornin' sickness since we've started."

"That's because my stomach's tough!" Ibuki announced proudly. "Hopefully, this check-up won't be too much to deal with."

"I'm sure it won't. Maybe she can answer our question as to why your appetite is so fuckin' huge."

"Oh, I'm sure it's understandable!" Immediately after that was said, a beautiful nurse in her mid-twenties at a height of five feet and two inches walked into the room with a smile of pure peace and a clipboard in her right arm. She had soft Asian skin, bright hazel brown eyes, long blonde hair that stopped at her waist, and she wore her traditional doctor's coat and brown business pants with black high heels. She greeted the newlyweds with pride.

"Hello, you two." She greeted in a female voice that was pure American, despite her Asian skin. "How are we doing with the baby?"

"Pretty good, thanks. I'm guessing you're my new nurse."

"For life, yes. My name is Dr. Lykiita Harrison and I'll be honored to help a famous kunoichi like yourself though your first pregnancy." She froze with shock when she faced Tommy, who was confused by the look. "Tommy? Tommy Jaymes Jones? Is that really you?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied, despite the confusion. "Should I know you?"

"I believe so, yes… but in case you don't, I was in the scene when you were born. I was only a child at the time, but my father was one of the doctors who helped you come into the world. I was lucky for that day to be 'Bring your Child to Work Day'."

"Lykiita? Now, I remember you! Wouldn't be great for you to deliver my baby?"

"Like I said before, it will be an honor. My father would be very proud."

"'Would'? You mean…?"

"Last month… old age got to him and the good Lord decided it was his time to join him upstairs."

"Oh… I'm so sorry to hear that. You have our condolences."

"Thank you very much. Now, Ibuki… you're wondering why in Heaven's name do you have such a huge appetite?"

"Yeah." Ibuki replied. "I figured I wouldn't be eating so much, since it's only for two."

"It may not be for two. Let's check it out and see what we got."

Two minutes later, in the Mammogram room…

Ibuki was laid back on the bed near the machine while Tommy just stood next to Lykiita, who was setting up the machine by gently applying the special gel to the scanner. Tommy was still surprised that Ibuki was indeed pregnant, but still had quite a flat stomach as he looked down at her.

"That's amazin'." He commented.

"What's amazing, Tommy-chan?" Ibuki asked in playful wonder.

"You're in your first stage of pregnancy and that flat stomach of yours is still there. It's not like I'll feel bad during these next eight months."

"I know, but like you said, it'll be an interesting experience. How does it feel to be a Dad?"

"At this part of the process, it's not makin' me feel any different. I still feel like we're just a married couple." Just seconds after that was said, Tommy's bladder got to him from drinking that huge cup of orange juice earlier after breakfast. "Hold on, ladies. I gotta take a piss real quick. I'll be back." With no second thought, Tommy dashed off to the nearest Men's room to relieve himself. Ibuki actually smiled at that outcome instead of frown, which caught Lykiita's interest.

"Tee, hee… why smile, Ibuki? Don't you want your husband to see what you got in there?" She asked playfully. Ibuki shook her head.

"I do, but I actually wanna keep it a surprise, in case it's something crazy." She replied with honesty. "Say around… my eighth month, I'll show him."

"Okay. Let's see what we got then." After that was said, Lykiita gently rubbed the scanner against Ibuki's bare stomach and they both looked at the screen carefully for about five minutes. After a while, Lykiita's expert eyes caught something shocking. "Ooooh, there's baby A right there… and baby B over here… and… let's see…" She was silent for the next minute before she spotted: "… Baby C… over there! You have triplets, Ibuki!"

"Good-Lord…" Ibuki muttered with shock. "We did more damage on our honeymoon than I thought." 

"Heh, heh… of course. This will indeed be a shocker for Tommy once he hears about this. Keep this to yourself until your eighth month, like you promised. You'll know their genders in three months."

"Good. Perfect, actually! Good timing on my part there. That way, I can shop for the right clothes for each one of 'em." Ibuki carefully sat up after that was said and shook the nurse's hand. "Thanks for the check-up and uh… when the birth comes, I want you to bring my babies into the world by yourself. Make your daddy proud."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thanks. You be careful. No rigorious training or anything like that until just a couple months after the birth of your children."

"Gotcha!"

Fourth Month

It was a pleasant and quiet Sunday afternoon and Tommy just got out of the shower and slipped on his old brown and white Sarusuberi Tanuki football jersey and comfortable baggy jeans with white socks before he headed downstairs to see his adorable wife, dressed in a comfortable white t-shirt and black maternity sweat pants, cooking her four course lunch, which consisted of three grilled terriyaki tilapia fillets, fried rice with mixed vegetables, grilled shrimp smothered in soy sauce, and sweet dumplings on the side. Tommy couldn't take his smile of humor off his face as he saw this in the roomy kitchen from where he stood at the entrance. When he saw her slightly turn to reach for the onion powder on her left side of the stove, he nearly cried happy tears when he saw her baby belly for the first time. He was getting so excited about being a father, but he still had no idea that he was about to be the father of triplets. Ibuki sensed him from behind and smiled without even looking at him.

"Hey, baby." She greeted while she kept her focus on preparing her dumplings. "Did you have a good shower?"

"Yeah, it was refreshing." Tommy replied as he approached her from behind and gently took a soft hold on her belly after he moved her signature ponytail out of his way within the embrace. He smiled at the feeling of one of the babies kicking and so did Ibuki. She smiled at not only the feeling of the babies, but also how sweet Tommy was to her and her changing figure. "You still look sexy, even with this vessel of love you got here. Hey, he's kickin'!"

"Tee, hee… you keep sayin' 'he' like you know it's a boy in there."

"My dream didn't lie and I don't think it ever will. I have confidence that there's a boy in there. It feels like it's gonna be a big baby, though… just like me. Your belly's pretty big for one baby."

"Yeah. Can… can I finish cooking now?"

"My bad." Tommy slowly took his hands away from his wife and gave her a loving kiss on her left cheek. "You keep doin' what you doin', baby. I'll be in the livin' room, watchin'-"

"Football?"

"…yeah. You know me too well, Ibuki-baby." As soon as Tommy was settled down in the living room, Ibuki's sly smile never left her cute face as she continued to think in her head as she cooked her lunch for four.

_He just has no idea what he's about to be up against by the time my eighth month comes around. _Her voice said in her head. _He'll be the proudest father I've ever seen. Kinda reminds me of when Master Enjo told me the truth about how I was abandoned as a baby at my age of six. It was hard to take in, but I eventually became a trooper and handled my emotions nicely. Too bad he never told me about my real parents until just a few months back. That's gonna change though. _Ibuki showed a look of determination as she placed down her final platter on the table before she took a seat and managed to watch the same football game from there with Tommy, who remained on the couch. _When these three babies are born, everything about the past will be nothing more than a cute little storybook to tell them before bedtime. Enjo and Sanjou will be more than happy to be god-grandparents or whatever they're called. I'll make sure they get a chance to babysit one day. The weirdest part, though, is Don-chan being an uncle. I'm sure the kids won't mind having my pet as their uncle. It'll be fun for 'em, ya know. _

"Tee, hee." Ibuki giggled in her lowest volume verbally as she continued to eat. "Better get ready, Tommy-chan. If Hakan can handle seven daughters, I'm sure you can handle three babies. Same will go for Don. Talkin' about me hoping to have the patience. Better hope that _he _does as well."

Six days later, on a pleasant Saturday afternoon at the doctor's office…

"Hey, Lyviita." Ibuki greeted as she just walked into the room in a purple maternal t-shirt and jeans. "I'm anxious to know what these three babies will be. Tommy's dream might come true at this rate and I just melt when I see him smile and cry all at once."

"I can imagine." Lyviita agreed as she allowed Ibuki to carefully lay back next to the mammogram. "Seeing how big he's grown since the last time I've seen him, he oughta be sensitive. I hear he's a 'Mama's boy' at heart."

"Yeah. He loved his mom before he met me and he still loves her today, which kinda makes me feel special about him. Seeing that as the perfect factor for his gentle nature, I know he'll be such a good father by the time these three are born. I have faith in him."

"So do I. Well, let's see what you got." Lyviita booted up the machine and had everything set before she carefully scanned the inside of Ibuki's belly. After three minutes, both of the ladies smiled with all the passion they had before Ibuki said:

"Big Daddy's gonna get some future football players."

Sixth Month

On one beautiful Sunday afternoon, Ibuki, Elena, Makoto, Sakura, Karin, and Chun-Li were all shopping together at a local superstore to get Ibuki some new clothes, shoes, cribs, and other useful items for her three boys while Tommy was at a sports bar she allowed him to go to, so he could enjoy his favorite sport with his best friend and his old football team at a reunion.

"Good thing that football team reunion was today." Ibuki sighed as the ladies were heading into the newborn section of the store, looking at nothing but blue all over. "It's the perfect distraction."

"How do you think he'll look like once he finds out about your triplet boys?" Sakura asked as she picked out some cute footies.

"He'll probably be shocked for a minute and then be like… 'Holy shit, Ibuki. What the hell did we do that night?'… Tee, hee… I… I can't imitate a good Tommy, but ya'll get the idea…"

"Awww, it'll be cute, I bet!"

"Either way, Ibuki…I'm so proud of you." Chun-Li commented. "And all this time, I thought you were gonna continue fantasizing about boys for the rest of your life."

"I know, it seemed like it, didn't it?" Ibuki asked in agreement. "But, life can be unpredictable and Tommy just happens to be the one for me. Everything about him, inside and out, is all I wanted in a man. He's big, tall, and sexy on the outside, but he's so sweet, caring, gentle respectful, and generous on the inside. That's the second shocker from a big man like him… next to Karmayah, of course."

"Wow." Elena sighed. "I'm actually excited about him being a father."

"I know… me, too…" Ibuki started trailing away as she was just aimlessly staring at a set of three identical cribs. Karin caught her dreamy stare and smiled.

"Feeling the effects of parenthood?" She asked the kunoichi mother, who nodded in response, not taking her eyes off of the cribs.

"I just… have so much confidence in him, girls. Tommy and I have been through so much together. I think the biggest event we've shared was at our graduation… when he proposed to me… the way he expressed his true feelings towards me… it was just… the most adoring thing he's ever done to me… other than all those rounds of sex we've had all throughout college. I kinda feel stupid in a way, too."

"How come?" Makoto asked, which shocked the other ladies, but kept quiet as Ibuki remained calm and continued with dignity.

"I've been fantasizing about boys all the time, but I wasn't specific about what kind of boy I liked. My slight crush on Alex didn't make much of a difference. Then, I meet Karmayah and things took off… kinda."

"Kinda?"

"Yeah. Remember I was raped before I met him?"

"Yeah."

"I was literally four days away from becoming a lesbian before I met Karmayah. On the day before my lesiban ways were gonna start, I just happened to see Karmayah tend to a baby bird outside the campus and I completely changed my mind and decided to give him a chance. It turned out hot and spicy in the end."

"Wow! Now wonder you were crazy over Tommy when you met him."

"Yeah, but now that we're married and about to become proud parents to triplet boys, we can finally settle down and just be the most unique family on Earth."

"Huh!" Karin exclaimed. "I figured you could call yourselves unique. Three different races combined into three packages… and on top of that, on your ninth and final month of your pregnancy, it'll be December."

"WHAT? REALLY?"

"Yes… after hearing that you were born on December 6th and Tommy was born on December 17th, I'm sure your sons will be born either before yours, between the both of you, or after Tommy's. That way, every year, when that month goes around, you'll all celebrate your birthdays respectively. That, to me, is what can be fun for a not-so-average family."

"Well, ho-holy crap! I was hoping for that to happen since I found out when Tommy's birthday was. He showed me this newspaper snipet he had in his parents' photo album during our honeymoon. Not only did it show his birthday, but it showed me how big he was when he was born… and damn, he was a big baby. Fifteen pounds plus!"

"WHOA!" All of the other ladies gasped. Ibuki giggled like the valley girl she is and kept her smile as she reserved her cribs at the counter.

"His heart is just as big, too. That's the only thing I love about him the most."

Eighth Month

"Happy Thanksgivin', ya'll!" Johnnie greeted right when Tommy opened the front door. He kept a smile as he allowed both of his parents in with a fully cooked turkey in Karthaji's hands while Johnnie handled his homemade macaroni and cheese in his hands. Inside the house, a fully pregnant Ibuki was still setting up the table for the thanksgiving feast while Don arranged condiments and drinks. Snow adjusted the television, so most of the family could watch the traditional thanksgiving day football game. Karthaji took a good look at Ibuki and just smiled at how pretty she was.

"Awww, Tommy." She sighed as she carefully handled the turkey while Johnnie walked on Tommy's right side with his dish. "Just look at her. I'll bet you're excited."

"I am, Ma." Tommy replied with honesty as all three of them approached the table. There was already two big bowls of Southern green beans, mashed potatoes, and a steamy sweet potato pie. "We're only a month away and Ibuki's been great. She hasn't had any morning sickness and I have the craziest feelin' that this baby's gonna be big, just like I was."

"Maybe, but did you ever find out about the gender of the baby yet?"

"Yeah." Ibuki replied as she just finished setting the cups. "It's gonna be th-uh… _a _boy."

"YES!" Tommy cheered, not even catching the truth Ibuki nearly exposed. She wanted to save it until everyone was finished eating their dinner. "Good. I don't have to be alone when football comes around fo' me."

"Heh, heh… yeah." Ibuki blushed as she just turned away from her husband and tended to helping Don get the pet dishes for him and Snow. Karthaji carefully settled down the turkey before she approached the pregnant kunoichi and whispered to her:

"Are you sure it's only _one_ boy?" Ibuki shook her head.

"No, they're actually triplet boys." She whispered to her mother-in-law.

"Triplets? Good Lord…"

"I know! That's what I said when I heard about it the first time. My back's already killin' me because of the thought of the idea."

"I'm sure you'll do fine, sweetheart. Handling a fifteen pound newborn was pretty hefty work, but I managed in the end. I was lucky that he could learn new things so quickly as he aged. I sure do hope at least one of your boys will be that way as well."

"To be honest, Karthaji… me, too." Right after that was said, Zazari just approached the two and gave his only daughter a loving embrace from behind, carefully feeling the three babies kick inside Ibuki. "Hi, Mom."

"Happy thanksgiving, sweetie." Zazari greeted in return. "Awwww… your babies are just as excited to be in this world as you and Tommy are. How will you break out this triplet news to your husband?"

"Oh, I found a way. I just gotta wait until the perfect moment. Trust me. Most of Tommy's relatives are gonna freak out once they hear about this."

Five minutes later…

Snow and Don just started eating their portions of the meal on the kitchen floor next to Ibuki while the rest of the family enjoyed their meals at the table. Tommy's eldest great grandfather from his father's side, Valtino, started the conversation in his sweet elderly male voice, which made Ibuki smile.

"I neva thought you'd be pregnant wit Tommy's son, of all thangs." He started. "How was the love makin' fo' it?"

"It was awesome!" Ibuki replied sweetly. "He was rebel and… heh, heh… so was I."

"Naw, naw…" Tommy playfully protested as he took a piece of some cranberry sauce. "…she was mo' of a rebel than I was! That woman was the man of the bedroom fo' a while!"

"Yeah, sure… get it outta your system. Seriously, though… that was the hottest round of sex I've ever had."

"Ya'll went hardcore." Valtino commented. "You young bloods ta-day, I swear… ya'll invent new moves and orgies that just send me smokin' my pipe sometimes."

"Tee, hee… I guess you can say that in your manner of speakin'."

"Ibuki invented some new moves, ya know… speakin' of…" Tommy came in playfully. "I would talk about 'em, but it'll send ya'll losin' your turkey." That statement made everyone at the table, except Ibuki, bust out laughing hysterically for about a minute. Ibuki just slightly chuckled.

"You nasty dog…"

"It's the truth, baby girl."

"Yeah, but maybe this is the perfect time to say this to all of you…" Everybody got silent after that was said and gave Ibuki their undivided attention. "…I was gonna wait until after dinner was over, but I might as well say it now. Tommy… I lied to you."

"What?"

"About having a boy."

"Awww, man…"

"…we're getting three of 'em."

"…"

_Ah, the sweet sound of a stunned silence. _Ibuki's voice sighed in her head. _Something's gonna happen in three… two… one…_

"HOLY SHIT!" Tommy yelled at the very top of his lungs with all the excitement he couldn't hold in. Hearing this sent the other ninety-seven percent of the table cheering for the future parents, excluding Zazari and Karthaji, who just applauded with appreciation. Dyvokhan was speechless and Zazari was successful in keeping him from fainting. Johnnie was among the cheering while Don just collasped on the floor next to Snow with shock, making the giant lizard shake his head with humor before he eventually joined in the cheering by roaring. Tommy calmed down after a minute of cheers, casually walked over on the other side of the table, and just gave his adorable wife a passionate kiss on the mouth for two minutes before they slowly parted, having Tommy lay a gentle hand on Ibuki's triplet incubator, feeling small kicks from all three of the babies. "Awww, baby! And you wanted to wait until after dinner to make dat announcement, huh?"

"Figured that could've been a good time." Ibuki admitted. "But, now that I see that your family is hysterical about it, let's hope they don't spoil our boys."

"Oh, we always spoiled Tommy." Valtino came in with a chuckle. "So, ya know good an' well dat we gonna spoil your boys."

"Awww, man…"

"Don't worry, Ibuki-baby." Tommy started in a low voice right in her left ear. "I'll make sure they don't touch 'em until they turn five."

"Promise?"

"I promise. Now, since that's the case, we're gonna decide on some names fo' 'em later on, baby."

"Sounds good, but remember? I never teased you with my Yoroitoshi during our baby making session, so… hey! I've got a better idea on how we can make it a worldwide announcement!"

Hours later, at around 8:30 pm in Tommy and Ibuki's new bedroom…

"Is… is the camera on?" Ibuki asked in the moving camera as she sat on their king sized bed. An unseen Tommy, who handled the High Definition digital camera connecting to the PC behind him, showed a thumbs-up in the lens for a quick second. Ibuki cleared her throat as she spoke to the worldwide audience rather than just Tommy. "Hello, fellow fans of Don and I. I'm pretty sure you all have heard of my amazing victory against Govi and Don's impressive recovery, but now, as you can see, I'm already eight months into my pregnancy. That's right, everybody. I, Ibuki, is officially pregnant with Tommy's triplet boys. It's already exciting to carry them in this vessel I got here, but it'll get even more exciting in a month's time when they're born. In the meantime, Tommy and I have yet to come up with any names for the three and, being the mother… and due to the fact that my sexy husband wanted to save his dick from sexual eradication… I decided on a good three different sets of three special names. I got the list of them right here." Ibuki paused as she pulled out a sheet of paper from her left and looked at it as she continued. "Okay, here's what I got. For the first option for you all to vote on shortly, I've got:

For First Born: Khan Enjo Totanuki

Second Born: Hymuri Roko Totanuki

And Third Born: Sairoko Thompson Totanuki."

"That's a whack first list." Tommy playfully insulted off-camera. Ibuki showed a look that said 'So what?' towards the camera before she continued.

"And? It's _my _list and _I'm _making the decisions! Besides, it's not like we're choosing this list right off. People are gonna vote for which set they like. Whatever wins is what we'll choose. Okay?"

"Okay-a'ight… my bad. You may continue, baby…"

"They should see your face right now…" Ibuki muttered as she took a good look at Tommy's sarcastic look of humor. "…ahem! ANYWAY… that was the first list of good names. Here's my second:

For First Born: Dyvo Sairoko Totanuki

Second Born: Zari Flakyss Totanuki

And Third Born: Jaymes Thompson Totanuki."

"Again, with Thompson for the third baby's middle name… what gives with that, Ibuki-baby?" Tommy asked off-camera.

"I've heard from your Dad that he is the youngest in the his family of his dozens of brothers and sisters. So, I might as well make it that way with his middle name being the middle name of the third born triplet. Makes perfect sense, right?"

"Yeah, I guess. I actually like that name for the last born. He has _my_ middle name for his first name and has my Dad's middle name. Ibuki… did these names come right outta your cute head?"

"Yeah." Ibuki blushed to admit it as she slightly turned away with an adorable smile. "It'll be very unique."

"Damn, baby. You're smart and creative. I love that."

"Shucks, Tommy. I'm flattered. Anyway, here's the third list:

For First Born: Var Don Totanuki

Second Born: Foquaro Ibuki Totanuki

Third Born: Tommy Jay Jones, Jr.

And there you have it, everyone." Ibuki finished. "I sure do hope these three lists won't be too hard to decide over. They are all impressive, I think. So, as of now, you all can vote on these three sets of names for our children… from now until around… my twenty-first birthday. So, let your voices be heard, ya'll. Peace!" After that was said, Tommy clicked off the camera and turned towards Snow, who just finished setting up the online poll. Ibuki lightly applauded with excitement as she slowly stood up and approached the computer with Tommy next to her on her right. "Yes! I have a feeling that they're gonna vote for the obvious, but that's just me. Tommy, what do you think they'll choose?"

"I can't choose, baby girl." Tommy admitted with a sweet smile. "I love all three of those sets. By the way, what do you think is the obvious?"

"Nuh-uh! Not telling! We'll just have to wait until my birthday to find out. So… don't give me any sake (pronounced sa-kii), okay?"

"Ain't nobody say shit 'bout givin' you sake. I'm making you drink whatever your heart desires… as long as it doesn't harm the babies."

"Vegetable juice."

"Eww!"

"Tommy!"

"What? I prefer fruit."

"Well, that's what _you _prefer, okay?"

"Okay. A'ight."

Ninth Month

Tommy and Ibuki celebrated the young kunoichi mother-to-be's birthday at the Glade, having almost all of the Street Fighters invited to the party as well. Crimson Viper chuckled at Ibuki's appearance as she approached her with Sakura and Karin right behind her.

"Look at you, Ibuki." Viper started as she just arrived. Ibuki, dressed in a white maternal sleeveless sweater and blue jeans with white sneakers, turned towards her with a smile of humor. "First of all, happy birthday."

"Thanks, Viper." Ibuki replied as she took a sip of her vegetable juice.

"Secondly, wow. Triplets, huh? Tommy must've really pounded you like a sledgehammer."

"Tee, hee… I asked him to… and you know good and well that he wouldn't wanna refuse such a request from his adorable wife."

"Heh, heh… I guess you got a point there."

"Your poll results came in about the names of the babies." Karin announced as she pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed to the expectant mother. "Like you said, the results were gonna be obvious, but I'll let you be the judge once you see it."

"Hmm…" Ibuki placed down her bottle of juice before she opened the paper and gasped at the results. She cheered on the inside, but remained steady on the outside. "Whoa! I knew it. I gotta show this to Tommy."

Two minutes later…

"Tommy!" Ibuki called out as she approached the male section of the party. She paused for a moment as she saw that Tommy was in the middle of an arm wrestling battle with Birdie. She giggled at that sight and decided to wait until a victor came through. After about three more minutes of struggling, Tommy finally slammed Birdie's hand down on the table and the other guys cheered for him, having Dan give him a playful jab on his rock hard left arm.

"YEAH!" Dan cheered. "I knew you could win!"

"So did I, man." Tommy agreed. He paused as he saw Ibuki standing there with a sheet of paper in her hands. He smiled as he stood up and walked over to her, giving her a sweet kiss on her right cheek as his greeting. "Hey, Sexy-buki."

"Still calling me that, huh?" Ibuki asked with humor.

"You're still beautiful to me, girl. What's up?"

"The votes are in and I was right. Look!" Ibuki handed him the paper and he smiled with pride. On the paper he saw the following:

Name Set 1: 4 percent

Name Set 2: 87 percent

Name Set 3: 9 percent

"Dyvo, Zari, and Jaymes…" Tommy sighed. "Just hearing those first names is enough to convince me that they are the perfect choices for their names, baby."

"I feel the same way. Now that it's almost near the birthday of our babies, can you tell me how it feels to be a dad now?"

"Naw, not yet. They have to be born first."

"But, judging by that smile, I'd say you feel like a brand new man."

"Damn, baby. You're pretty good… but there's mo' that dat, Ibuki."

"Shit! Almost had it!"

The Wednesday after…

Tommy was having his usual day at work, being the best President of Animals of Happiness Tokyo has ever known. He was more of an animal professor at this point and he was never wrong about any questions his customers had. On this pleasant afternoon, Karmayah came in with his older, but shorter sister with a sleeping Black-Footed Ferret in Kendra's arms. It was extremely pale and had harsh breathing. This immediately sent Tommy into worry mode as he watched Karmayah gently place the sleeping animal on the front counter.

"Hey, Tommy." Karyamah greeted as he just carried his older sister in his arms like she was a toddler. "How's Ibuki doing?"

"She's doin' a'ight." Tommy replied. "Today's the day, but she's been fine so far. Now, uh… what the hell is up with Ryce?"

"He just couldn't keep anything down for some reason." Kendra replied. "We've tried everything, but nothing worked!"

"Hmmm…" Tommy's strict face made his bright green eyes seem menacing as he carefully observed the ferret by simply placing one huge hand over the whole midsection of the body. "Damn! I feel somethin' wrong with his liver. Is there someone smokin' in your neck of the woods somewhere?"

"Not… exactly, but he did venture a little too deep in our basement. He got into the ventilation shaft and there is a small trace of carbon monoxide in it."

"That's the problem. He needs an oxygen tank and fast! I'll hook him up in the back and he should be fine in three days."

"Thanks, Tommy." Karmayah thanked before he and his sister left for home. When they were gone, Tommy carefully picked up the ferret and went to the back to quickly attach him to an oxygen tank until his body recovered. After that was done, he went even further in the back to check up on Ibuki, who was in the middle of getting her a glass of water, but suddenly dropped the glass as she felt contractions. Tommy grew wide eyed with both shock and happiness.

"TOMMY!" Ibuki screamed with intense pain. "THIS IS IT! AAAAAHHHH!"

"It's time? Fo' real?"

"DO I LOOK SERIOUS?"

"My bad. C'mon, baby. Let's get you to the hospital!"

Two minutes later, during the rushing ride to the nearest hospital…

Ibuki continued to scream out her pain of intense contractions in the passenger seat as she was crying tears on the outside, but deep inside, she was still overjoyed that the babies were just moments away from being in her arms. She'll be able to prove to the other Street Fighters, the Glade, and her parents… that she can be just as good of a mother as she is when she's in ninja mode.

On Tommy's point of view, flashes of his dream came through his head, even though he kept his sharp eyes on the road. He never held the baby in the dream, but he knows that since he's a gentle giant among the other citizens and loves children and animals, this won't be too hard for him, especially since he knows that the newborn baby boys will be tiny compared to him. Only time will tell at this point and Tommy was getting anxious. After that feeling came, he was a bit surprised when he had to stop at a stoplight, which was something he was trying to avoid. Ibuki saw this and started crying even louder in agony.

"AWWW, C'MON, DAMN IT!" She screamed with anger. "FUCKIN' STOPLIGHTS! AAAAAAHHHH!"

"Whoa…" Tommy muttered with a small hit of surprise. He has seen so many sides of his cute wife before, but this was one more dose of her bad side medicine he wished he never had to witness. "Uh… Ibuki?"

"WHAT?"

"Have you… ever… ya know… screamed like this during the Street Fighter III tournament?"

"…what?" Ibuki finally gained the strength to calm down, despite the painful contractions. "…ahhhh… only once... ouch!"

"What happened?"

"Makoto kicked me in my cooch on purpose… aaaaaahhh…"

"Ouch! I bet that had to hurt."

"Just as bad as these damn contractions! God, it hurts!"

"I can imagine." The stoplight turned green right after that was said and Tommy immediately put his lead foot back into full gear as he sped off to the hospital.

Ten speedy minutes later, at the Tokyo International Hospital…

Lyviita was at the front desk of the main lobby and smiled with excitement as he saw Tommy quickly, but carefully wheel the suffering Ibuki towards her. The young nurse immediately sprung into action as she approached the two and carefully inspected Ibuki as she spoke.

"What's today now?" She asked with sarcasm and humor. "December 14th?"

"Yeah." Tommy replied with a smile. "Why?"

"We're on schedule! Tommy, you wait here while I get my other doctors and nurses to get her settled in. We'll call you up when we're ready."

"A'ight."

Five minutes later, in Room I8…

"Ironic…" Ibuki muttered as she remained calm while a doctor prepared to give her the epidural. Lyviita stood right in front of her as the young kunoichi mother continued. "…this room number almost looks like the first two letters in my name."

"It is ironic, isn't it?" Lyviita agreed. "But this is the only room in the maternity ward that we have available. I figured you would've gone natural with this, but seeing that you couldn't handle this pain, I guess I can accept it."

"Being a part-time kunoichi doesn't make me impervious to pain, ya know!"

"I see that now."

"Good. Mm!" Ibuki cringed right when she felt the needle of epidural stick into her lower back. After thirty seconds, it was successful and the pain was gone, but she still had skyrocketing contractions as she slowly laid back down on her back and breathed her biggest sigh of relief as she laid her head on the extra soft pillow. "FYI, though… those contractions wasn't the worst pain I endured."

"I can tell. I'll call Tommy up here now and then, you can explain."

Ten minutes later…

"Hey, Ibuki-baby." Tommy greeted as he and Lyviita just entered through the door, having Lyviita close the door behind her as Tommy took a seat on Ibuki's right side. "How do you feel now?"

"Like I'm in heaven." Ibuki sighed as she just turned her head towards her husband, who kept his signature sexy smile in check. "Can you tell me now?"

"Not yet. The babies didn't come out yet."

"Damn it! Anyway, I was about to tell Lyviita about a much worser pain I experienced… worse than those contractions I had."

"Makoto kickin' you in the cooch, right?"

"No. Much worse… and ironically, it was during Super Street Fighter IV. It was my first time meeting Zangief and good God! One look at him told me he was a wild stallion! After hearing all of these stories that he wrestled a bear and lived, I wasn't a skeptic anymore. I was ready to face him, but unfortunately, I wasn't as prepared as I thought I was…"

(Flashback, two years ago in the snowy rail yard…)

_Despite the cold breeze, my ninja outfit still kept me warm somehow. _Ibuki continued. _I stood there with pride, ready to face Zangief for the first time. I mean, I knew he was gonna be huge, but not THAT huge! I saw him approach me and I was a little nervous on the inside, but remained a trooper on the outside. _

"Are you Zangief, the Red Cyclone?" Ibuki asked as she took a good look at him, having her half mask hide her frown of fear. Zangief chuckled as he crossed his arms with dignity.

"Ah, ha, ha, ha, haaa! What's this now?" He asked in return with confidence. "What's your name, little girl? How old are you?"

"First of all, I'm not little anymore! My name is Ibuki and I'm nineteen, thank you!"

"Nineteen, eh? Look more like you're thirteen!"

"Don't test me, Zangief! I'm a tougher ninja than you think!" Ibuki got into her fighting stance as she said this. "C'mon! Bring it! Let's see what'cha got!"

"Fine." Zangief casually walked up to the young ninja and, before she could even prepare to defend herself, Zangief made a strong backhand punch to her abdomen, knocking the wind out of her as well as her pride as she doubled over in extreme pain, feeling a slight fracture of a rib under her left breast. "HA! Not so tough now, are you?"

"Ugh! You… you ba… ba… bast-uuuuuuuugh…" Before she could finish her statement, Ibuki fell into an unconscious state, making Zangief the winner. He felt sympathy for the young ninja and carefully picked her up from underneath, gently stroking her soft face as he slowly peeled off the half mask.

"Awww, you are adorable for a teenager that's a year away from becoming a teen no more. Hmmm…"

_Before I knew it, I kept over hearing that Zangief forfeited the match and made me the winner while I was unconscious. When I finally woke up, Ryu confessed that fact to me and I was shocked. I asked him why Zangief did that._

"He realized how innocent you looked, despite your age." Ryu replied. "He was actually glad he didn't plan to perform his piledriver on you. Doing that would've killed his pride as well as kill you physically."

_I… was… shocked! I never thought Zangief would feel sorry for me because of how I looked. Sakura looks just as cute, but he gave her the smack down like she was another bear! _

(End flashback)

"There's somethin' special about you, baby. That's why." Tommy guessed. "He never saw you as a ninja, despite the outfit. He saw you as an ordinary girl… cosplayin' as one."

"So, basically, you're sayin' that despite being a ninja, I can still make a good person towards others." Ibuki concluded.

"Yeah, exactly. You seem pretty normal to me. I can't wait to see you carry one of the babies. I'll answer your question then. How about that?"

"Are you sure? You've been denying to answer for the longest time. Will one baby be enough?"

"Yeah, baby. You hold one of the babies and I'll be mo' than happy to answer your question."

"Okay… and you better!"

Hours later in the early morning at around 2:15 AM…

Ibuki was fast asleep while Tommy just woke up from the sound of Lyviita entering the room. She smiled as she approached Ibuki, who was already in position for the pushing, while the nurse took a good look at her. Tommy stretched and yawned as he spoke.

"Hey, Lyviita." He greeted tiredly. "How dilated is she?"

"Six centimeters." Lyviita replied. "Two more and she'll be just about ready to push, but I've gotta admit… as cute as you were when you were born, I expected you to date someone different, like Tyviiana."

"How do you know about her?"

"She's my cousin."

"Huh! What a coincidence."

"Indeed, but I see Ibuki will be even better for you. You two share so much in common and you worship the word 'love' as if it was a God or Goddess. What's your secret?"

"No secret really. Most people these days would rather say I love you through shooting a bullet or using a knife, but Ibuki and I found a good telepathic way to express our love towards each other. All it is… is a hug."

"Huh! Simple enough… but what makes your hugs so special?"

"For Ibuki, they provide protection and a guarantee than she'll always be by my side no matter what's happenin' between us. For me, it's a sign that she'll protect me as well as I'll protect her. I'm not the kind of man to resort to violence as a way to prove my point…"

"…unless you have no choice, right?"

"Right… which is very rare in my book."

"Keep up that good work, then. I have this wonderful feeling that you're gonna be the most inspirational father the world has to offer." 

"We'll see, won't we?"

"Tee, hee!"

Two hours later…

Ibuki just woke up with a soft yawn and saw that Tommy was just staring at her with all the love in the world. Lyviita just told him that the young kunoichi was a good eight centimeters dilated and he was ready for her to push.

"Four in the morning and I'm dilated, huh?" Ibuki muttered tiredly with a small smile. Tommy chuckled.

"Heh, heh… yeah." He replied as he gently placed a hand on Ibuki's slender one. "Ready to bring our babies into the world?"

"So ready. Will this hurt?"

"It might, but I'm not sure. My mom told me that it was painful for her when she had to push me out, so I'm sure you can use some kind of advantage strategy against the pain."

"Yeah, I actually do. Master Enjo told me that whenever he suffered a broken limb or something, he would always say this simple phrase: Enjo shall prosper."

"Huh! What? You're gonna say that, too?"

"No! That's Enjo's version. I'm gonna say 'Ibuki, on the scene!' every time I feel some pain."

"Why?"

"It's keeps my Valley Girl spirit goin'."

"And that's gonna help… how?"

"Nothin'! It's just gonna make me feel good about this whole experience."

"Enough said."

"Okay, Ibuki." Lyviita just finished setting up the atmosphere of the room for the arrival of the babies. "We're all set. Are you ready?"

"Hell, yeah! Bring it! Let's go!"

"Heh, heh…" Tommy chuckled. He couldn't believe how well Ibuki was taking this. Her 'tough when she needs to be' nature kicked in and he enjoyed every millisecond of it. Lyviita giggled at Ibuki's behavior as well before she and three more nurses gathered around Ibuki and was ready to bring out the babies.

"Okay, now Ibuki, I need you to take a good deep breath and push as hard as you can." Lyviita commanded. "Ready?" Ibuki took her deep breath, holding Tommy's hand as tight as she could. "Push!"

Seven slow and painful minutes later…

"Here's baby number one!" Lyviita cheered as the baby was crying at the very top of his lungs while he got his lungs drained out safely. Hearing the first baby cry made Ibuki and Tommy cry the happiest tears in their lives. One nurse allowed them both to take a good look at the baby and he was pretty pale and had Ibuki's brown eyes and her unique ears. The rest were all Tommy, including the small amount of black hair on his head.

"Hey, Dyvo." Tommy greeted as he held back his tears while he gently stroked Dyvo's face. Seeing this made Ibuki's tears leak out of her even faster. She sensed him to be an excellent father and he convinced her that quickly. "What's up, man? I know you cold, dude."

"He's probably like 'I was warm in there! C'mon, man!' Tee, hee!" Ibuki giggled as she played along. She gathered the energy to give her first born son a gentle kiss on his forehead, immediately silencing the baby, who just looked at his parents with an oh-so-adorable toothless grin. Seeing this made both parents smile right back at him with their tears of joy continuing to leak. "Awww, Tommy. He looks just like you."

"_Just _like me? Damn! The only thing I don't have are those ears and your eyes."

"Had to say somethin' about the ears, didn't you?"

"Hey, they're pretty distinctive, if ya ask me."

"Yeah, I guess." The nurse finally carried baby Dyvo towards a soft weighing bed while Ibuki prepared to push for the second baby.

"Ready to push out your second baby, Ibuki?" Lyviita asked with excitement. Ibuki nodded, preparing for the pain she was ready to witness again.

Five more painful minutes later…

"Baby number two's out!" Lyviita cheered as her assistant helped the second crying baby boy with clearing his lungs before allowing the parents to see him. Tommy chuckled.

"Ta, ha, ha, ha, ha… now _that_ boy… is a mini-me right here!" He exclaimed with humor as he took a good look at baby Zari. He did indeed look just like his father, including the bright neon green eyes, but it was still pretty pale in the skin. "His skin's gonna get a lil' darker, but still…" After that was said, Zari kept his curious look in check as he stopped crying and tilted his head with confusion. Ibuki giggled at this cute display as she gave him his kiss on the forehead.

"Hey, Zari." She greeted to her second son. "You and your dad will look like twins in the future. I just have that feeling. I hope you won't feel the misery of being the middle child."

"He might for a lil' while, but that's gonna be part of his life." Tommy reassured as the nurse carried him in another weighing bed next to his older brother. "I'm sure we can manage."

"We've said that before and we're keepin' our word on that." Ibuki nodded in agreement as she said this and prepared to push out baby number three.

"Alright, Ibuki." Lyviita started. "Before you push him out, let me just say that for a first time mother, you're actually doing pretty well."

"Thanks. Being a ninja has so many more advantages these days… I swear. Anyway, let's do this!"

Another five slow and painful minutes later…

"Number three's out!" Lyviita cheered for the final time, but shockingly, the baby wasn't crying. Tommy and Ibuki got worried as they tried to look at the baby from where they were. Lyviita kept a smile of no worries as she volunteered to get the fluids out of the lungs this time before she carried him over to the parents to take a good look at baby Jaymes. He was just as pale as his older brothers, had Ibuki's face, including the ears, Ibuki's blackish-brown hair… but he had an interesting eye color… or colors. He had a bright neon green left eye and a chocolate brown right eye, but it never bothered the baby at all. Lyviita chuckled at their stunned silence before she explained. "Heh, heh, heh… don't worry, you two. Jaymes is fine. He just has a very unique color scheme in his eyes. This is a pretty rare sight, but my father has encountered only one other human who has this, but that person died of a gunshot to his head before we could even check on him many years ago. He professionally called it 'Double Eye Color Syndrome'. It doesn't effect his sight, but it does give him extreme sensitivity to sunlight and he is somehow immune to light from lightbulbs, flashlights, television and computer screens, and he can even look straight at a laser light without any harm! Personally, those eyes are the perfect symbol of how close you two really are and, if I were you, I would treat 'em that way."

"…say-what-now?" Tommy babbled out of his shock. Ibuki shook her head to get the shock out of her as well before she spoke.

"Double Eye Color Syndrome, huh?" She started as she took a good look at Jaymes, who remained quiet and gave the most adorable toothless grin both parents had ever seen… next to the first two baby boys, of course. "Never heard of it, but wouldn't ya know it? It has to be on one of our babies. Exactly how rare is it?"

"Extremely rare." Lyviita replied expertly. "I'd say a good 1 out of every 700,000 births… give or take."

"Wow."

"But, no need to worry. Just keep some sunglasses on his eyes and he'll be fine playing outside."

"Sounds simple enough to me. Tommy, what do you think?"

"…talkin' about my eyes bein' rare…" Tommy muttered with humor. "Shoo! I'd say that's awesome! Besides, take a good look at him, baby." Ibuki did so and gasped.

"He looks just like me, despite the eye colors!"

"Now, he might be a mini-buki… which is a name I would never call him in public. I promise!"

"Yeah, you're right. Bet you 400 dollars that he'll rock the same exact ponytail as me when he becomes a teenager."

"You're on, Ibuki-baby."

"Heh, heh!" Lyviita chuckled. "Well, good luck with that." After that was said, she carried Jaymes over to the third and final weighing bed and she was shocked at the huge difference in weight between the three boys. "Whoa! I expected these three to weigh the same, but they're actually completely different."

"Yo-whoa-whoa! Hold up! Let me see!" Tommy slowly stood up from his chair and walked over to Lyviita and the other two nurses while the third tended to Ibuki, who watched with curiosity as the young nurse continued.

"Dyvo Sairoko Totanuki weighs approximately eight pounds and five ounces, Zari Flakyss Totanuki weighs nine pounds and six ounces, and Jaymes Thompson Totanuki weighs a whopping fourteen pounds and seven ounces. Either these three have different tastes in food or it's just the fact that both of you are professional fighters and they're destined to be who they choose."

"Wow, man." Tommy muttered with happiness as he took a good look at all three of his sons. "Ya'll are already baby prodigies."

"You got that right. All three of them are completely healthy, despite Jaymes' Double Eye Color Syndrome. Congratulations, Tommy! I never thought I'd see you have triplets after I've watched you being born many years ago. I know you'll be the world's most hard-working and inspirational father ever."

"My Mom granted me my gentle nature and I'll never be able to repay her for it, but maybe after seeing her grandsons for the first time, she'll make that my repayment for her gratitude. Same will go fo' Ibuki's parents. Won't they be proud to see their grandsons, baby?"

"Most definitely, yeah!" Ibuki replied with a confident smile. "I'm more concerned about Enjo and Sanjou. I don't know if they should get in the family circle."

"Techincally, they should. They've raised you since you was a baby yo'self. They deserve it… especially Enjo."

"Yeah, you're right. I'll make sure that they do get the recognition. Are they here?"

"Yeah. Enjo, Sanjou, Don, Snow, Kendra, Karmayah, Bobby, Tyviiana, Sarai, my parents, your parents, and some Street Fighters are down in the lobby. They're probably waitin' fo' me to show 'em these pictures of our boys." Tommy held up his digital camera he just finished using as he was talking about giving Enjo most of the caretaker credit.

"Which Street Fighters?"

"Ryu, Yang, Yun, Makoto, and Sakura."

"Awesome! Tell Makoto that she can help with the babysitting if she wants to."

"Ya sure?"

"Yeah, I'm positive."

Seven minutes later, in the lobby…

"Awwww, look at 'em! They're so cute!" Sakura started as she looked at the pictures from Tommy's camera with the other four Street Fighters. Both of Tommy's parents approached him from behind and took a good look at the pictures with them as Karthaji spoke.

"I know you must be so proud." She started. Tommy nodded in response. "They are beautiful. Zari does indeed look just like you while Jaymes looks more like your wife, despite the eyes. Dyvo… well… he's a piece of the both of you on the face, but back to Jaymes, is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine." Tommy replied. "He just has Double Eye Color Syndrome. Nothin's wrong with his eye sight, but he's very sensitive to sunlight… and only sunlight."

"Huh! Interesting!"

"Let me see." Dyvokhan came in as he and Zazari approached them and took a good look at the babies in the camera. "Awww, it is strange, but he is doing just as well as his brothers. How's Ibuki?"

"Tired. That girl was a trooper… and pretty funny. She kept on sayin' 'Ibuki, on the scene!' every time she pushed. It didn't make the pushin' any faster, but it helped her grow immune to the pain."

"Heh, heh… that's my girl."

"Tommy?" Enjo came in as he allowed everyone else to glance at the pictures of the baby boys. Tommy turned towards the master and bowed down to him. "Words cannot express how proud you've made me and Sanjou. At first, we were all worried about Ibuki and how harmful her obsession of boys would be on her. Now that you married her and she just became a new mother to three healthy baby boys, we'll honor you and your family's names forever."

"Thank you, Master Enjo." Tommy replied as he bowed down back at him for about ten seconds before he stood up straight. "It's a good thing you're sayin' this because Ibuki and I have been talkin' and we've decided to let you and Sanjou be god-grandparents to the babies, since you both have been practically fathers to Ibuki."

"Tommy! This is such an honor to hear that from you!" Sanjou exclaimed with proud tears as he embraced the gentle giant with all the appreciation he had. "Thank you so much! We promise we'll take good care of the babies when babysitting time comes around!"

"Good… and Tyviiana and Sarai?"

"Yes?" Both ladies replied, turning away from the pictures for a moment to give Tommy his attention.

"Would you two be honored to be god aunties to the boys?"

"Yeah!" Sarai cheered as she ran up to the new father for a loving embrace. "You won't be disappointed!"

"Tommy, of course, we'll be honored." Tyviiana agreed. "We'll take good care of them."

"I know you will… oh, and Makoto?" Tommy called out.

"Yeah?" The karate girl called out in response.

"Ibuki says that you're welcome to help the other Street Fighters baby sit, if you like. She feels that you deserve it for being supportive, even after your lil' rivalry."

"She won't be disappointed then."

The next morning…

Enjo just came in Ibuki's room with Sanjou, Yuta, and Don. They saw that she was already wide awake at five in the morning because she had to breastfeed the boys, having Tommy sitting next to her, feeding Dyvo a bottle of the same milk. This scene instantly placed a pleasant smile on Enjo's face as he approached his best student on her left and sat in a chair next to her while Sanjou, Yuta, and Don got in their own seats on the same side.

"Morning, Ibuki-chan." Enjo greeted as he slipped off his half-mask. "How have you been since the delivery?"

"I was exhausted, but I made it… and so did my boys." Ibuki replied as she kept her focus on Zari and Jaymes suckling her, one nipple each. "This breastfeeding thing feels funny, but I've gotten used to it now."

"I see." Sanjou added. "And I see you've grown one cup size since then."

"Amazing, ain't it? I can barely fit in my ninja outfit now… not that I'll get back in it anytime soon."

"I understand. So, have you gotten their personalities yet?"

"I already sensed Jaymes' so far. Seein' that he got out quietly, I'm guessing he'll be the silent type."

"Hmmm, do you think he might have a chance at being a ninja like you someday?"

"Maybe, but I'll keep my fingers crossed." Ibuki jumped slightly as she felt Zari and Jaymes readjust to get more milk out of her. "Oooh. This actually feels good."

"Just like me, right?" Tommy asked with humor.

"Tee, hee… yeah. Oh! Tommy, can you answer my question now?"

"You still got that in yo' head?"

"Uh… yeah. Just to refresh your memory, I'll ask it again. How does it feel to be a father?"

"Ibuki-baby… at this point… I'd say that it feels awesome. Bein' a dad has always been my dream and, now that it finally came true, Darikosho and Yzyako can actually rest in peace and the last pieces of my life puzzle are finally placed."

"YES! I am so glad you feel that way. You're already proving to me that you're a great father. Can't a proud wife ask for more than that?"

"On your point of view… yeah. On others… naw."

"Oh, ha, ha… very funny." Hearing this made Jaymes giggle and she smiled as she looked down at him. "Awww, you found that funny, huh?" The odd-eyed baby nodded in response, carefully crawling up to her shoulder to prepare for burping. Zari followed suit on her left side and Dyvo did the same to Tommy after he gently pulled out the empty bottle from his toothless mouth. Don raised an eyebrow at that scene as he got in Enjo's lap.

"Whoa." He muttered with shock. "Talk about being in sync. These boys tell telepathic messages to each other, huh?"

"Seems like it, yeah." Yuta agreed. "It's a common thing for twins, triplets, et cetra."

"Want me to burp one of 'em, Ibuki?"

"I would, but I'll let Enjo do it this time." Ibuki replied as she handed Zari to Master Enjo, who grew tears of joy as he gently held the baby boy in his arms before he gently laid him on his right shoulder and started patting his back. "How does it feel to hold him, Enjo?"

"It feels wonderful." He replied as he continued to process a burp for the baby. "Raising you as a baby was just as interesting. You literally crawled around with me everywhere I went… except when I had to go to important meetings and battles. Other than that, you were quite a handful."

"I bet I was. Tee, hee!" After that was said, a soft burp was heard from behind her. She turned around and saw Tommy nod with satisfaction as he cuddled Dyvo in his huge arm and just looked at him with a peaceful smile. Ibuki couldn't help but watch him for a moment as her patting grew aimless, admiring how sweet her gentle giant husband was. Enjo and Sanjou admired the moment as well, even though both masters were shocked at the scene.

"My God…" Sanjou gasped. "…this is Tommy's first encounter with an actual child, isn't it?"

"…" Ibuki wasn't listening. She just continued to stare at her loving husband for a few more minutes with an adorable smile on her face. Enjo softly chuckled before Zari finally made his small burp as well before he gently cuddled him in his arms, allowing the curious baby boy to play with his finger for a while.

"Let's just say that Tommy's first encounter with children is a memorable one. He'll never forget this day." Enjo quoted professionally. Yuta and Don nodded in agreement as they all continued to watch the scene for a little while longer. During that time, Ryu, Sakura, and Ibuki's parents quietly entered the room and partially watched as well as they walked inside. Ryu and Sakura were in the most tears as just stood there and continued to observe the peaceful scene before them. They just couldn't believe that Ibuki would get that far in her life. The boy crazed valley girl Ryu remembered was now a grown woman, married, and a new mother. Even though she announced that she won't be returning to Street Fighter anytime soon, he doesn't have any doubts that her skills are passed down onto at least one of the three baby boys. They'll be able to perform her impressive skills and then some as they grow and, seeing that happen in the future someday, made Ryu grow an even bigger smile with anticipation. Sakura hated to interrupt the moment after a few slow passing minutes, but there was something she had to ask Tommy.

"Hey, Tommy?" Sakura started, nearly startling everyone, except the babies and Ibuki's parents. "Have you held children before?"

"Naw, this is my first time… and they happen to be my kids." Tommy replied with honesty. "I gotta tell ya'll, it just feels like heaven holding this baby. Their personalities are hard to make out, but their nationality mixtures aren't. Dyvo here is half-Black and half-Japanese, Zari is, simply put, a mini-me, and Jaymes is fully Asian, meanin' that he's half-Korean and half-Japanese."

"Huh!" Zazari exclaimed as she took a good look at Jaymes' face over Ibuki's shoulder. "He does have the lightest skin tone out of the three, but he looks like the exact mirror image of Ibuki."

"Exact is putting it nicely, Mom." Ibuki agreed before she just held Jaymes in her hands and just looked at him for a moment. "It's like I'm lookin' in a mirror. I hope nobody will point him out as me when he gets older. That would be embarrassing for me and for him." Immediately after that was said, Jaymes' burp came a little late, but he spitted up on her along the way, making Ibuki cringe sarcastically with both disgust and surprise. All of the men in the room chuckled, including Don, while Sakura and Zazari attempted to tend to her, but Tommy miraculously stopped them from doing so as he handed Dyvo to Zazari for a moment.

"I got 'er, ya'll. Heh, heh, heh…" Tommy commanded as he gently grabbed Jaymes and handed him to Sakura for her to hold for a while as well. "Sakura, clean him up, a'ight?"

"I gotcha!" Sakura replied as she did so. Ibuki still sat there, frozen in her current position as she slowly started to spit some of the projected milk that was all over her face, making Tommy chuckle even louder as he grabbed a nearby wet cloth and started to wipe her face.

"You a'ight, baby?" He dared to ask. Ibuki kept her look of sarcasm in check as she simply said:

"Ya know what? This motherhood thing… is really gonna be an interesting route to take."

"I feel ya, Ibuki." Tommy continued to wipe her face as he said this. "I'm sure it won't happen again."

"Word on dat one, dude!"

"Ta-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

So, it happened. Ibuki and Tommy's life was complete. The whole experience with each other from college to today was nothing short of breathtaking for the both of them. Many good times, bad times, and steamy times brewed between them and now that they have three beautiful and healthy baby boys, both of their lives were completed and Darikosho and Yzyako were able to watch this moment from Heaven one last time before their spirits were finally able to rest in peace. The only thing to do now is to really get into the deep reality of parenthood and observe their children's personalities carefully.

That task would be easier for them than when they had sex for the very first time.

To be continued…


	25. The Promising Future

Chapter 25: The Promising Future

It's been two months since the three boys were born and Ibuki and Tommy were already pretty well adjusted for their new family. Their new home was refurbished for babies in a house, including getting the new cribs in their bedroom, while Don and Snow had a room and Tyviiana had a room all to herself as well, since she really didn't have nowhere to stay since Tommy decided to take her back home with him. Nothing but peace was all over the house and it never changed a bit.

Tommy just came home from another busy day at work on a pleasant Thursday afternoon. As soon as he got in the garage, he saw Don sitting like a good tanuki at the garage doorway, greeting him as usual.

"Welcome home, Tommy." He greeted. "How was your day?"

"Hectic as always." Tommy replied. "Bein' da president of this store ain't easy."

"I can tell. Any big problems?"

"Naw, not really. Just same ol', same ol'. I just wanna get outta this suit now."

"Well, go on ahead, then. Snow and I will be in the living room."

"Where's Ibuki?"

"She's upstairs with the boys. She just finished givin' 'em baths."

"Oh, okay."

Meanwhile, upstairs in Ibuki and Tommy's bedroom…

Ibuki never allowed her admiring smile to leave her face as she was just getting Zari in his baby blue footy pajamas. She looked over at Dyvo and saw that he nearly rolled off the right edge of the bed, but Tommy came in just in time and caught him gently in one hand, ending up holding him from under his belly afterwards.

"Hey, baby! Welcome home!" Ibuki greeted as she saw this before she continued to get Zari dressed. "Thanks for catching Dyvo. He's just so full of adventure already."

"Much like his Mama when she was younger."

"Oh, stop. Anyway, how was your day?"

"It was good. Only one person complained about their pet, but it was fixed in a matter of minutes, thanks to Karmayah. He actually changed his mind about not being paid to work there."

"What?! You mean he's been a volunteer that whole time?!"

"Yeah. Now that he really loves his job, I decided to let him take the job. Same for Kendra and Bobby, who, by the way, are officially dating."

"I knew they would eventually. They seemed so close."

"I know, right?" Tommy was interrupted by Dyvo's cute babbling and he looked down at him with a playful smile. "Uh, huh. You agree, too. Don't ya, Dyvo?" The baby babbled in response and playfully tackled Tommy's massive arm. Ibuki looked at him from where she stood before she prepared Jaymes' pajamas, but froze when she saw something on that same left arm. This puzzled her husband. "What's wrong, Ibuki-baby?"

"Is that a tattoo on your arm?"

"Huh? Oh! You finally saw it, huh?" Tommy lifted his arm up slightly for his wife to see what the tattoo was. "It's a few symbols to express how much I love you."

"You're right about that. Those are the Kanji symbols that says my name in Japanese! When did you get that?"

"Just last week. I figured I get at least one additional thing for you to admire on me, besides my whole body and my face."

"Awww, I love it! I'll be sure to play with it sometime." After that was said, Jaymes' babbling commanded her to resume putting on his pajamas and she quickly got back to that very task at hand, blushing slightly. "Sorry, Jaymes. Your father's a rebel."

"And yo mama's a desperate-"

"Don't go there!"

"Just thought I'd tell him the truth."

"Uh, huh. Keep talkin'."

"You ain't one to talk. You got some baby fat to work off."

"Hey! It's only an extra twenty pounds at the most, alright?!"

"I know, but I'm just sayin'. You can continue some training or somethin'."

"Maybe on you… perhaps."

"Awwww, naw. You can turn Rufus into your punching bag fo' all I care."

"Well, I… hmm… that's not a bad idea. Okay. I'm sure Rufus won't mind. You got the boys?"

"Yeah, I got 'em. You go on ahead, baby."

"Alright. Guess I'll be with my Street Fighter buddies one last time, which is breaking a promise… which is something I never do."

"It'll be fun fo' ya, baby. It's not like breakin' one promise ain't gonna do nothin'."

An hour later, at the Street Fighter Headquarters…

"'Ain't gonna do nothin''… my pussy!" Ibuki muttered as she was just recovering from a serious blow from Rufus. Ryu volunteered to help her up while she was still shaking the dizziness out of her. "Doesn't he notice that I've got baby fat to lose outta this?"

"You still look great to me." Ryu protested peacefully. "Didn't Tommy say the same thing?"

"Kinda. He still wants me to be in shape just for my health, though. I grew one bra size and now I need to lose this weight, so I won't suffer anything crazy."

"Breastfeeding isn't as easy as you thought, huh?"

"Oh, it's easy. It's struggling into my favorite clothes that's the problem."

"She had the hardest time gettin' into that tank top she's wearin' earlier." Tommy came in, rolling in his three baby boys in a special triplet stroller. Some Street Fighters already saw them, but for the ones that didn't, they instantly awed at them, giving Ibuki a free hit for Rufus at last. Ibuki giggled as she performed her four super fast Tsumuji kicks to the fat man's stomach and he fell over after that. "It's the truth."

"Yeah, thank you for the confidence."

"Damn, Ibuki! I was checkin' out your babies." Rufus exclaimed as he sat up from the hit he just took.

"Well, maybe you should take it easy on me and I won't be rough on you this time. Now, give me a chance to work off this baby fat, will ya?!"

"They're beautiful." Chun-Li commented as she approached the three babies that sat next toTommy in the stroller as he was sitting on the couch, next to Ryu on his right. "What are their names?"

"The one in the very front is Dyvo Sairoko Totanuki." Tommy replied as he pointed to cute little Dyvo, who was trying to chew his nearly jelly-like teething ring. "He's the more adventurous type. He literally crawls around the house with me and Ibuki everywhere… even in the bathroom when we have to take a piss."

"I see. He looks like he's a hefty explorer. He seems like the odd-ball out of the three when it comes to his appearance."

"Yeah." Ibuki came in as she was literally punching, kicking, and performing the fireball version of her Yoroitoshi on Rufus' big belly as if it was a punching bag. "He has my ears, my eyes, Tommy's hair, and the rest of Dyvo's face is all Tommy as well. Personally, I expected Jaymes to be that way since he was the last one to be born."

"Me, too, baby." Tommy agreed. Chun-Li giggled as Rose came up to her from behind and admired the babies for a while from where she stood. "Hey, Rose! I never thought you would care about these babies."

"Rose? Really?"

"What's not to love about a new generation?" Rose asked professionally. All three of the baby boys never showed a sign of fear in their faces as they saw the psychic before them. They actually smiled and giggled at her hair for about a minute before they resumed teething on their respective semi-jelly rings. "See? They don't mind my presence."

"Wow."

"Yeah, baby. Wow is right." Tommy agreed as he continued to introduce his sons. "The second one behind Dyvo is Zari Flakyss Totanuki. He's half-adventurous, half-silent. As you can tell by his appearance, he's basically a mini-me. He half-Korean and half-Black… just like me."

"Awww, now he's precious." Ingrid came in between Chun-Li and Rose. "Seeing bright green eyes on an African American is very rare to see and it's just something worth admiring forever. It'll be really worth remembering if you're an exceptional father to these boys, but don't explain that yet until you tell us about the third one."

"…whoa… who's this, baby?"

"A-MEN, INGRID! AMEN!" Ibuki praised as she continued to make Rufus her punching bag.

"Ingrid? How come I've never heard of you?"

"I haven't been around much, but it's a good thing to be here." Ingrid replied. "Since I've heard that Ibuki's retiring from her Street Fighter career for the sake of these three beautiful boys, it's actually more inspiring to be here now. Ibuki's early retirement is a sign that she is more peaceful than most people thought."

"Awwww, thanks, Ingrid." Ibuki came in. "That really means a lot to hear you say that."

"You are very welcome, young ninja master. Now, Tommy… tell us about the third baby… especially about this… eye color scheme he's got here."

"A'ight." Tommy replied. "The last one behind Zari is Jaymes Thompson Totanuki. He's completely Asian, meanin' that he's Korean and Japanese, but just like Zari with how he looks just like me, Jaymes looks just like Ibuki, except the eyes, of course."

"Oooh, oooh! Can I explain it, Tommy?! I wanna do it!" Ibuki exclaimed with anticipation, still punching the strong, but fat stomach of Rufus. Tommy chuckled at how bubbly that was and he couldn't help but allow her.

"Go ahead, baby. Tell 'em."

"Okay. Jaymes has, what the doctors call, Double Eye Color Syndrome. He literally has one neon green eye and one brown eye. It doesn't effect his eyesight, but he's extremely sensitive to sunlight. That's why he has those cute sunglasses resting on his head. Either way, though, he's gonna be the rarest human to ever live since Karmayah and Kendra's albino family made the scene."

"Wow." Chun-Li and Ingrid gasped with astonishment as Rose gently stroked Jaymes' face with a little love. All he did was make the cutest toothless grin she's ever seen and she just couldn't help but smile herself. Tommy smiled at this scene before him as Ryu finally made a statement.

"Looks like all three of these boys admire almost everything about us." He quoted professionally. "Jaymes is the completely silent type. I have a feeling that when the dedication ceremony starts next year, Jaymes will pick the obvious path for himself."

"Dedication ceremony?" Ibuki asked as she just finished her work-out and was drinking a bottled water as she approached the couch area. "Why didn't anybody tell me about that?"

"I figured you would know. It's actually Enjo's idea. He figured that, since a good majority of Tommy's Korean roots hold deceased samurai legends, these babies have a good chance at following in their father's footsteps."

"Oh, wow. And I never saw that coming. Next year seems long to wait, though… wait, I know why. Enjo kinda did the same thing to me when I was a baby. I wasn't a year old when he found me, but as soon as I did turn one, he decided to let me choose what weapon I wanted. I crawled right over to a plastic kunai and the rest is history."

"Huh!" Tommy exclaimed with shock. "You ain't neva tell me all dat."

"Well, I just did! Okay? Sheesh!"

"Heh, heh… either way, Ibuki, aren't you excited about the ceremony?" Ryu came in. Ibuki took another sip of her water as she took a seat in Tommy's lap in an ever-so-adorable way, making her husband smile with red cheeks of embarrassment.

"Totally! Personally, I'll be pretty upset if all three of these boys choose to be Big Daddy's lil' samurai sidekicks."

"Awww, scared that you won't get no ninjas to help ya?" Tommy mocked playfully. Ibuki turned towards him with a sly smile before she playfully flicked him on the nose.

"Don't test me, baby. I have confidence in these boys. Don't you lose that confidence on your half."

"Oh, I'm not." After that was said, all three of the babies started wailing at their loudest, immediately getting their parents' attention. "Uh, oh! Think it's feedin' time fo' 'em?"

"It… can't be. We fed them before you left for work."

"Hmm… oh, naw… ya know what? I know what's goin' on…" Tommy paused as he allowed his wife to stand up as he got up from the couch and he picked up Dyvo to examine him. He took a good whiff of his diaper and turned away, holding his breath. "…whew, damn! Yeah, it's changin' time."

"Great…"

"Heh, heh… I'll handle them, baby."

"No, no… let me try this again. I'm changing Jaymes this time." Ibuki carefully picked up Jaymes and tried so hard not to gag. "Oh… God… this really stinks. I wonder if Enjo had a hard time with this when I was a baby."

"Girl, you were probably a lethal stinkbomb."

"Shut up! Let's just change these babies."

A few minutes later, in a spare bedroom…

Tommy just finished changing Dyvo before he gently placed him down the soft green carpet floor next to his feet and he immediately started crawling towards the other Street Fighters. Tommy chuckled in realization as he just started tending to Zari.

"I just realized that Dyvo's a bit too young to crawl." He started. "But, hey! I guess they have that same fast learning streak I have. What do you think, Ibuki-baby?"

"Yeah, that's… ugh… probably the case… geez, this is really nauseating." Ibuki muttered as she maintained her gag reflex as she was trying to properly take off the diaper. She took one good look at the reeking pile of baby poop and she made a gut wretching gag as she turned away. "…awww, man… this… is not my strong suit."

"You've tried this so many times for the past two months since they've been born and this is only the third time you've gotten this reaction."

"It's just… "Another loud gag. "…uuuugh… the sight of the… poop."

"Heh, heh… want me to get the rest of that, baby? I'm almost done with Zari."

"No, I…" She made another gut wretching gag, turning away. "…I got this."

"Yeah, right…" Ibuki held it in as she was almost ready to wipe the baby's bottom, but Tommy stopped her before he said: "Ya know you gotta throw the diaper away first, right?"

"Why do I keep forgetting that?" Ibuki proceeded to wrapping up the diaper, but as soon as she picked it up… "OH-SHIT!" She quickly covered her mouth and ran to the nearest bathroom to throw up. She couldn't handle it anymore and Tommy chuckled at this scene before he proceeded to dispose the diaper properly and went back to zip up Zari's pajamas before he finished off Jaymes. Crimson Viper chuckled as well as she approached Tommy and picked up Zari, allowing him to play with her long braid as she was holding him up on her shoulder.

"Exactly why we have Tyviiana livin' wit us." Tommy muttered with sarcasm.

"Heh, heh… most mothers can handle dangerous do-do these days." C. Viper started with a smile of humor. "But I never expected Ibuki to react like that. What? Has she done this before?"

"Two other times, but that was only because most of these babies just did a piss fo' her while I had the dookie duty, but see? The thing was… she only gagged a few times and she managed to keep her lunch or dinner down… but I guess the third time did the sickenin' charm."

"But, how come you can handle it, but she can't? Seems backwards, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, but to be honest, I really have no idea why I can handle it. These are my first babies and I have never changed any diapers in my life before they came into da world. I guess I have my Mother's instincts as a parent."

"Probably… and it's an excellent trait to have, if you ask me. A father who can handle some dirty do-do is indeed a dedicated one… and you sure have been showing that lately, despite your huge size."

"Thanks, C." Tommy finally finished Jaymes and just cradled him in his big and secure arms. "I've been inspired by my dad. He raised me to be the best man I can be long after my mama got arrested."

"So, I've heard."

"And I'm sayin' this to all ya'll." Tommy raised his voice a little, getting all of the other Street Fighters' attention, even Rainbow Mika, who was holding Dyvo. "Da only reason why I'm a very devoted Dad is because of mine. After my Mom was arrested at my age of five, my Dad had no choice but to raise me alone without his wife's help. He took care of me, kept watch over me at practically every place we went, and he was just a pretty damn good fatha. It was all for the sake of my life, since I saw the police shock my mom before my eyes before she was arrested. He's probably jealous of me at dis point 'cause I got triplets and I can handle every single one of 'em, but still. He loves me, he loves his daughter-in-law, he loves his grandsons, he loves his wife… and that's all I need to know in order for me to be the best father I can be."

Every Street Fighter didn't leave no dry eyes in the place after that beautiful speech. After a good silent and tearful five minutes, Dyvo slowly crawled up to his father and hugged his ankle, begging him to pick him up. Tommy looked down at his first born triplet son and just admired him for a moment before he used one of his huge hands to pick him up from underneath his bottom and just held him there, allowing him to hug his respective left arm. Jaymes did the same on his right before C. Viper reluctantly handed Zari over to him and the baby immediately found a spot on his left shoulder. This scene before the Street Fighters still kept them in silent happy tears, taking this as proof that Tommy was indeed an extremely devoted father, just like his very own.

Three more minutes passed by and Ibuki just came out of the bathroom after washing her mouth and face from her sickening episode, admiring the scene she just saw as well before she approached her family with a cute smile.

"Heard that whole speech from the bathroom." She started as she carefully took Jaymes and craddled him in her slender and strong arms. "You really weren't joking when you said your dad inspired you, but here's my question, though… did Fate ever mention something about you having kids?"

"Naw." Tommy replied with almost no sense of thought.

"Really?!"

"Yeah, really. He neva said a thang about havin' babies. All he said was that you are truly da one fo' me and we were destined to be together. Even though we did make babies and he never mentioned it, nothin' bad happened. The reason why he never told me was because he confessed to me that new generations come as nature pleases. It's not in his power to predict whether we'll have children or not."

"Ohhh, I get it. That kinda makes sense. He is still happy about this, right?"

"Yeah. He's restin' in peace because of 'em and that's all that matters." Tommy proved that point by holding Zari and Dyvo closer to him with all the love he could possess and this made Ibuki follow suit with Jaymes before she cuddled against her husband with a cute smile. "He may have given me that dream, but that never gave him the power to make it true or not."

"I feel ya on that one, baby."

A year later, on a sunny Thursday afternoon in the month of January…

The whole Totanuki family was preparing for the upcoming dedication ceremony that was to take place at the Glade at 4:00 PM. Tommy just got into Yzyako's old beginner samurai outfit, which only consisted of a silver air breathing tanktop, baggy black sweatpants, and matching black and silver armor on his arms, legs, wrists, fingerless gloves on his hands, and shiny silver sneakers that were bulletproof. He checked himself out in the mirror and groaned with partial anger.

"They could at least provide armor for my back and chest… damn, man…" He muttered as he adjusted the armor on his wrists. Ibuki giggled in the distance as she was just getting her signature brown headwrap on, matching the rest of her old ninja outfit.

"Don't complain because they didn't have more protection way back when." She protested. "Yzyako obviously didn't need protection on his chest and back. I heard he was the best out of all the possible samurais in your family tree of Koreans."

"Probably, but still… damn!"

"Awww, don't fret about it." Ibuki finished getting the headwrap on her before she approached her husband and glanced at him from the mirror. "Besides, you look so handsome. I can hardly wait to see you teach our boys… that… uh… depends on who they choose to follow, that is."

"Don't get cocky, baby. My boys will prove that swords work better than kunai knives."

"I'll be sure to make you eat those words. I'll go and finish getting the boys ready while you… uh… grieve a little early."

"What?!"

"Bye!" After that, Ibuki quickly dashed towards her three boys, who were already dressed in identical brown and blue striped short sleeved t-shirts and black overall pants with white sneakers. Tommy saw this from the mirror and shook his head with humor as he tended to his long black hair.

"She has no idea what she's about to come up against. All three of those boys will choose to be samurais… although I can't really imagine a silent one. No! No-no… don't think that way, Tommy. They will be samurais! I know it!"

An hour later, at the Glade of Ninjas Meeting Room…

The room was already filled to capacity for the dedication ceremony for the three triplet sons of Ibuki and Tommy. Enjo and Sanjou were standing before the crowd of many different ninjas, Yuta, Raion, Sarai, Don, Snow, Genda, Ibuki's parents, Tommy's parents, Kendra, Karmayah, Bobby, and Tyviiana. Tommy and Ibuki stood behind the two masters, having Sanjou hold the two plastic weapons: a sword and a kunai. Tommy managed to hold all three of the babies by having Dyvo on his right shoulder while the other two were in his arms. It was all silent before Enjo finally spoke.

"I welcome you all to our first dedication ceremony in over 21 years." He started with a smile beneath his half mask. "This time, we'll have some tough decisions to make for these three boys behind us." He paused as he turned towards Ibuki and Tommy, who held the babies in his best capability. "Dyvo, Zari, and Jaymes… I welcome you all to the world as well as the Glade. This is the hidden village that your mother grew up for most of her life. She was an excellent student and I'm hoping that one of you will follow in her footsteps… at least, one of you. If all three, however, chooses to follow their father's ancestors, then it shall be written in stone as well as if they decide to choose their mother's path. For those of you who aren't familiar with this ceremony, let me explain how this works. Sanjou has two plastic and safe replicas of two weapons, each corresponding to their parents' respective skills. The plastic sword represents Tommy's samurai ancestors while the kunai represents Ibuki's ninjitsu abilities." Enjo paused as he allowed his partner to place down the two weapons at about five steps ahead of him before he walked back those same five steps, leaving the two weapons completely in the middle of the two groups, allowing Enjo to continue. "In a moment, Tommy will gently place down these three beautiful children and let them decide on their own who they decide to follow. They have all the time they need to choose, so let's watch together, everyone."

After that was said, Tommy placed down his three sons carefully and he took about three steps back with Ibuki following him before he held her closer to him on his left, praying for the best for the boys. The boys were a little confused about what they were involved in, but after about four minutes of thinking, Zari caught on and started to crawl over to the plastic sword, indicating that he wanted to be a samurai, just like his dad. This made Tommy smile while Ibuki kept a look of disappointment on her cute face. Karthaji saw this with happy tears in her eyes, glad to see one grandson take the path Tommy wasn't ready for.

It was now Dyvo's turn and he too went for the sword. This made Ibuki grow even more pissed and Tommy sensed it as he held her closer, making her warm on the side.

"Gettin' nervous, baby?" He whispered to his wife, who completely ignored him and just turned away, prepared for the worst. "Mm! Yeah, she's nervous."

It was all up to Jaymes. He looked over at his older brothers and made a toothless smile at them, but before he made his decision, he looked over at his parents, preferably Ibuki, and frowned at her expression. He saw that she was saddened by the fact that she wouldn't have a little ninja partner. After about a minute of watching his mom, he turned back around and smiled in realization. He was facinated by the fact that his mother was a ninja after hearing how she was raised in the Glade for most of her life. Not only was this something to be proud of, it was also something he knew he was destined to be. So, he finally made up his mind and decided to crawl over to the plastic kunai, making the crowd of ninjas, including Yuta, Raion, Sarai, and Genda cheer with all the joy they could hold. Ibuki heard the cheering and opened her eyes… and that's when she couldn't believe it. Her third and final son chose to follow her and she squealed with delight like the Valley Girl she was before she ran over to Jaymes and slid on her knees towards him before giving him the most passionate hug she has ever given to anyone while she leaked out tears of pure happiness.

"OH, JAYMES!" She started within the loud cheering. "I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, SWEETIE!"

"Whoa…" Tommy muttered with shock. He literally didn't expect this much of a reaction and he was taken aback by it for a moment. "Somethin' must've stuck wit him to help his decision."

"Heh, heh…" Sanjou chuckled. "It's obvious. Jaymes may be a baby, but he can still understand what we're saying. He must've been listening very carefully when Master Enjo mentioned Ibuki being raised among us since she was a baby herself. Dyvo and Zari really cared less about the story and decided to follow you. Hopefully, this will always be a wonderful memory to keep written in stone forever."

"Definitely!" Ibuki cheered as she just held her youngest triplet son. "You and me… we'll make an excellent team. I promise you'll have the skills to knock your daddy's socks off. Trust me. I have the craziest feeling that you'll be the coolest ninja since Guy showed up."

"Congratulations, Ibuki!" Enjo came in as he allowed his best student to stand up with her only future ninja partner in her arms. "Seeing Jaymes crawl over to the kunai was an exact representation of how you approached it when you were his age. I wish you good luck in becoming just as good of a teacher as Sanjou and I used to be."

"Thank you, Master Enjo. I promise to take it easy on him and make sure he doesn't do the same exact mistakes I did."

"Will you keep his ninja status a secret from unsuspecting eyes?"

"For as long as I can, yeah."

"Good… and as for Tommy, I wish you good luck in training as well. I hear samurai training isn't as easy as ninjitsu, but I'm sure you can handle it very well."

"I'll manage." Tommy agreed with a smile as he picked up Dyvo and Zari, holding them in one hand each.

"Excellent. Now, as proud parents of future warriors, there are a few rules you must follow in order to keep your training sessions safe and easy-going. First rule… don't force your children to do what they're not ready for. Until they say that are ready, then you can allow them to perform the very task at hand. The next rule is to keep training sessions as simple as possible for their appropriate ages. In other words, don't let them hold sharp weapons until they're about eight years old. I did that same technique with you, Ibuki… and you handled it just fine."

"Yep, I sure did." Ibuki agreed.

"Heh, heh! And finally, the most important rule: If you decide to allow your children to share their fighter status to the public, make sure they only share it to people they know they can trust. Make that your strongest restriction and let them know that it will not be tolerated if they fail to do so. Dire consequences shall await them, if they share it with the wrong people. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Tommy and Ibuki replied with serious looks on their faces.

"I wish you good luck… all of you."

Just a few minutes later, outside the meeting room…

Tommy, Dyvo, and Zari were surrounded by Tommy's parents, Snow, Bobby, Kendra, and Tyviiana while Ibuki and Jaymes were surrounded by most of the Glade, including Sarai and Yuta, while Don was on the young ninja master's left shoulder, trying to entertain baby Jaymes. Dyvokhan and Zazari were also within the crowd, allowing Yuta to approach her.

"You really wasn't expecting that, weren't you?" He asked his old partner. Ibuki shook her head with her signature smile.

"I really didn't!" She replied. "I'm so proud of Jaymes for making that decision. This Double Eye Color Syndrome must've enhanced his other senses somehow. Most babies don't understand what we're saying, but somehow, Jaymes translated it all and understood my struggle."

"That's a smart kid, that's why." Sarai agreed. "Now, I nearly lost it when you said that he'll be cooler than Guy. Are you serious?!"

"Yeah, 'cause personally, I think Guy sucks! I'm a better ninja than he is. I mean, sure he can make huge leaps and balance himself on poles and shit, but that doesn't mean he can be as good as I am. Does he slide under dangerous projectiles just to snap his enemy's neck?"

"No."

"Does he stay in mid-air while he throws twelve kunai knives at 'em?"

"Tee, hee… no!"

"And does he use a strong energy source to blast his enemy all the way to next July?!"

"Once again… hell, no!"

"Well, then there ya go! Jaymes will be the best… a one of a kind. He'll have all those skills and then some!"

"You sound so confident." Yuta commented. "When he's ready for some advanced tips, be sure to let us know."

"Thanks, Yuta." After that was said, Jaymes made an extremely cute sneeze and that got his mother's attention immediately as she looked down at him. "Bless you, Jaymes. I'm sure you'll do fine with me. You won't be disappointed… and Don?"

"Hmm?" The tanuki came in, after he tried to wipe the baby's nose.

"I'm leaving you with the small stuff in the training session while I work with Tommy on some days at Animals of Happiness, okay?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Ibuki?" Dyvokhan came in with a smile. "As your sons' grandparents and your parents, Zazari and I just wanna say that it has been a real blessing to be here for you. Since we've learned that you've been through so much during your childhood, we now know what to come up against when Jaymes' training starts. I'll be happy to help you, if you like."

"Dad! What do you know about being a ninja?" Ibuki asked her father in wonder.

"Out of my anger towards the Geki, I was the mysterious Black Dragon Ninja of Nagasaki. Nobody has ever heard of my true identity until today. You are the first to hear about it… especially since you're my daughter."

"Now, I've heard of the Black Dragon of Nagasaki, but I never expected it to be you, my father. I'll bet you were awesome!"

"The best I was, yes. Now maybe Jaymes can relive my glory days."

"No, Daddy. I appreciate it, but no. I want him to be more like me since he looks more like me as well."

"Hmm! I understand. You can still allow me to teach him with you, right?"

"Until you die."

"Thanks, Ibuki. The Glade has indeed raised you well."

"Yo' dad's gonna help, huh?" Tommy came in, still carrying Zari and Dyvo in his hands. Ibuki nodded with Jaymes as she turned towards him. "My mama just agreed to help me with my samurai training, since Grandpa Darikosho gave her an ancient scroll of his teachings."

"Awww, that's nice! Still a 'Mama's boy', since that's the case, aren't you?"

"Same should go to you… 'Daddy's lil' girl'."

"Oh, hush. He was a legend."

"And so are you towards your Street Fighter posse, next to Sakura, Ryu, and Chun-Li."

"Hell, yeah!"

On that same night, at the Totanuki Home…

Ibuki was sitting in the king sized bed in their room, reading a magazine, while Tommy was just laying down the boys to bed in Tyviiana's room. Don chuckled at this scene before he spoke, laying next to Snow, who was already fast asleep.

"Had to order two sets of three cribs, didn't you?" Don quoted with humor. Ibuki giggled, but never moved her eyes from her gossip magazine.

"Well, just in case Tommy and I decide to have a sex night, I might as well make it that way." She replied. "Besides, Tyviiana is very good at handling children. She'll be alright, if they decide to cry. If the reason why is huge, then she'll call us… no matter how deep in the mood we are."

"I sure hope so."

"Trust me on this, Don-chan. Tommy has that fatherly instinct in him and it'll command him to tend to those kids quickly. As for me… well… I might be a bit slow. I'm… still adjusting to this whole parenting thing, even though it's been a whole year since they've been born. "

"Take your time then. I'll be the best damn uncle I can be on the side."

"I know you will." Shortly after that was said, Tommy just walked in the room, dressed in a white tank top and matching boxer shorts, before he headed for the bed and sat on his respective left side, smiling at his cute wife. Don volunteered to close the door as they were talking. "Hey, baby. Are they asleep?"

"Yeah, they're knocked out." Tommy replied. "Once again, Jaymes defied the odds. He fell asleep at the very second I gave him Greenburrg to cuddle with. He hugged it as if he was three."

"Awww, just like his Daddy. Why give it to Jaymes, though? I'm just wondering."

"He deserves it. He made you the happiest woman in the world and I'm sure he'll make you even more proud when you start his training next year. Since all three of the boys have fast learning skills like me, Jaymes has a good chance at bein' at your skill level in no time."

"And I can't ask for more than that… well, except maybe a good round of some hot sex. I'm ready." Ibuki proved her point by playfully waving a wrapped condom in Tommy's face. "Are you ready to pound me, baby?"

"As always." Tommy replied as he took the condom and got under the thick covers before he allowed his boxers to fall to the floor on his respective side. Ibuki giggled before she got under the covers with him, slipping off her silky tank top and matching purple panties on her side and it was on under the covers, due to the passionate sounds they emitted shortly afterwards. Don shook his head with humor as he headed back to his bed next to Snow.

"Married, has three baby boys, and she's still a sex beast at night." He quoted with just as much humor before he eventually fell asleep as well.

Finally, Tommy's life was completely written in fine print and ended on a happy note. Every event in his life was a sign of things to come and it came just as he expected. Now, with his grandpa resting in peace with his brother, his life puzzle was finally complete. Dyvo, Zari, and Jaymes were deemed the ultimate team known as…

The Totanuki Dragon Warriors!

The End

(Awww, what a sweet ending! I've made a new record as well. This has to be the longest story I've ever written and it turned out great, I think. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as well as I enjoyed writing it. Peace out and no flames, please. Once again, thanks for reading and God bless.)


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